Tis the Season
by Lady.Sage08
Summary: 12 Fics of Christmas series using festive quote prompts from tumblr. LeaIsa/AkuSai ship. All unrelated unless stated otherwise. Modern AU setting. Will vary in length. Rating all as mature to be safe. No scheduled posting. Will post at random as fics are completed. No particular order whatsoever. Good chance posting will run into the new year. Find me on ao3 (Lady Sage) for more.
1. Secret Santa

"Man, I _hate_ Secret Santa," Axel says as he reads the name on the slip of paper that he had just pulled out of the _stupid_ hat going around. It's all he can do to hold back a displeased groan. "Why the hell are we doing this again?"

"Boss thinks we don't try hard enough with the Yankee Swap and wants it to be personal this year," Larxene says, rolling her eyes. "I even gave him the ultimatum that he would have to participate as well, thinking that would persuade him not to, but he actually went for it."

"C'mon, guys, it ain't that bad," Demyx says. He pulls a name from the hat and unfolds the piece of paper. His face distorts instantaneously. "Awe, fuck me…"

Xigbar grins. "Still not that bad?"

Demyx crumples the paper before stuffing it in his pocket. "Shut up."

"All right, settle down," Vexen speaks up. "Does everyone have a name?" Everyone nods their heads. "Does anyone have their own name?" Everyone shakes their heads. "Very well. We will be presenting and exchanging the Secret Santa gifts the last day before our holiday begins. All gifts must be at least twenty dollars, but no more than fifty. And there is to be absolutely no alcohol." He lets out a little sigh. "The boss really wants these gifts to be personal. So at least try."

"Did I mention I hate Secret Santa?" Axel says again once the team has been dismissed to go home for the day.

Roxas laughs. "Is the person you got really that bad?"

"Can't be as bad as mine," Demyx says. "I'd rather fall through the ice."

"So, you picked Larxene's name, huh?" Xion says.

"Oh. What gave it away?" His voice is dripping with sarcasm.

She shakes her head. "All of you have to get into the holiday spirit. Besides, we've been working with these people long enough now that we should be able to get any of them some sort of personable gift."

"That's not point." Demyx looks around at the others. "Okay. Who wants to trade with me?"

"I must say, I myself am perfectly content with the name I chose," Saïx says, joining the small group.

Zexion nods his head once. "Yes, me too."

Demyx's face distorts again. "Ya don't gotta brag about it."

"Whatever," Axel says. "I just feel bad for whoever got Boss' name. They best make sure it's a damn good gift."

With that, they all disperse.

"Man, I never thought I'd agree with Larxene on something," Axel says as he drives Saïx home. "The Yankee Swap is definitely so much better."

"For the record, though, half of us have ended up with alcohol for the last three years," Saïx says. "Don't you think it'd be nice to switch it up a bit?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "I dunno. I guess."

"Whose name did you pull that has you so against this?"

Now he rolls his eyes. "Xigbar."

Saïx stifles a laugh. "I see."

"Shut up. It ain't funny."

A little smirk twitches at the corners of his lips. "My apologies."

"By the way, whose name did you get that you're so content with?"

He shakes his head. "I'm not telling you that."

"C'mon, I told you my name."

"That's because you're a sucker."

"Do you wanna get kicked out of my car?"

"Please." He scoffs, although there's no real heat behind it. "You would never."

Axel glares at him momentarily, almost hating the fact that that's true. "Consider yourself lucky."

The rest of the drive is relatively quiet. Not out of anger or annoyance, but just because these two have been friends for so long that they don't feel the need to fill the silence with meaningless conversation. They're comfortable enough with each other's presence. Then again, Axel's not sure he'll ever admit just how comfortable.

"Your car is in the shop the next couple of days, right?" Saïx speaks up as he climbs out of the car once Axel arrives at his apartment complex.

"Correct. So, you'll have to carpool, and I'll pay you back with coffee."

"You know that's unnecessary?"

"Sure, but I feel bad. I know you kinda hate driving."

"I have no issue with driving itself. It's who I'm stuck driving with sometimes that makes it a bother."

Axel grins. "Like when you got stuck driving Demyx to work for, like, a month?"

"Yes. I still don't understand how that happened."

"We drew straws and you got the short end."

"Ah, yes, that's right." Saïx shakes his head. "Either way, I shall see you in the morning. Please do not be running late."

"Hey, it takes time to look," Axel gestures at himself, "this good."

He rolls his eyes. "Then wake up earlier." And he shuts the door. Axel sticks his tongue out at him in response. Saïx doesn't have to look back to know to just simply wave him off. "Real mature."

Axel laughs as he continues watching his best friend. He watches him until he's inside the complex. Then he takes a deep breath before starting back to his own place. When he gets there, he finds Roxas and Xion both sitting on his couch playing a video game.

"Uh…I don't remember inviting either of you over," Axel announces his presence as he drapes his jacket over one of the kitchen chairs. "Did I invite you two over?"

"We invited ourselves," Roxas says.

"Good. Then I can tell you to get the fuck out of my house."

He grins. "C'mon, don't act like you don't love having us around."

Axel shakes his head as he pulls a beer out of the fridge. "Do ya even get how weird it is for me to be hanging around with a couple kids?"

"We're work associates," Xion speaks up.

He chuckles to himself. Can't argue much with that. "Just warn me next time."

"We can do that."

Axel finishes his beer as he watches the other two finish their match. They then put their controllers down and turn the console off. The three of them order food before Axel starts on a pot of coffee.

"By the way," Roxas starts, "seeing as you're the one who said that it better be a damn good gift, you have to help me come up with something for Xemnas."

Axel almost chokes on his spit. "Shit, you're the one who pulled Boss' name?" He holds back a laugh. "I'm so sorry, man."

"You're an ass and you're helping me."

"Fine. Only if you help me come up with something for _Xigbar_."

"Oh, no…" Xion says. "Xigbar hates you."

"Thanks, I got that." He lets out a heavy sigh, thinking. Then he grins. "Maybe I can get him some bedazzled eyepatches or something."

Roxas nods. "Yeah. Then that'll lead to his real gift of him getting to murder you."

Xion laughs. "Sounds about right. But if you two are helping each other, then you have to help me, too. It's only fair."

"Who do you get?" Roxas asks.

"Lexaeus. And he's always so quiet. I barely know anything about him so I have no idea where to even start."

Axel shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe you should get him noise-canceling headphones." He pauses. "Wait a sec… Maybe I should get those for Xigbar."

Roxas considers this. "That's actually not a terrible idea."

"And I would like to put more thought into my gift," Xion says.

"Then I would ask Vexen or Xaldin. They've known him the longest. As for Xemnas, he has a weird obsession with the number thirteen."

Roxas' brows furrow. "He does?"

"Yep. Almost didn't hire Xion because of it since there were already thirteen people in the office. I forget who, but someone convinced him to hire you by convincing him not to include himself in that number."

"Huh. All right, then. The number thirteen." He thinks for a moment. "Maybe I can find some abstract art or something that has to do with it."

"Sure. Whatever." Just then, there's a knock on the door. Axel's quick to answer it and pays the delivery guy what he owes. He then places the two boxes of pizza on the coffee table. "Doesn't matter what I end up getting Xigbar. I'm sure, it'll end up in the trash no matter what."

"So, uhm…" Xion starts. "Are you gonna get Saïx anything?"

"Huh?" Axel says around a mouthful of pizza. He swallows hard. "Why would I?"

"I-I dunno. Maybe because you two are friends?"

"Yeah, but we haven't done gifts for each other in _ages_."

"Maybe you could give him the gift of telling him how you feel," Roxas says.

Now Axel freezes before taking his next bite. "Excuse me?"

"C'mon, Axel, we're not idiots. We've spent enough time with you to pick up on the fact that you're into Saïx."

"W-what? What are you—? I am not."

Xion smiles. "You're getting awfully defencive."

Axel shakes his head. "Saïx and I are only friends. We've been friends for our entire lives. There's nothing more to it than that." Roxas and Xion exchange glances of raised, non-believing eyebrows. Axel rolls his eyes, exasperated. "What?"

"Nothing," Xion goes on. "There's nothing wrong with developing feelings for your best friend."

"And for the record, pretty sure Saïx is into you, too," Roxas says. "He has to be with the way he puts up with your bullshit."

Axel scoffs at him. "Oh, shut up."

He chuckles in response. "Just saying."

Roxas and Xion continue with their own conversation and Axel thinks back on the one that just finished. Does he have feelings for Saïx that go beyond their lifelong friendship? Hmm. Well, he can't necessarily deny that he hasn't thought about it before. About dating him. About what it would be like to cross that threshold. There have been moments when he thought it was about to happen. Nothing has ever come of it, though. So, there's no way it could be true. There's no way Saïx has feelings for him. Nor does he have feelings for Saïx. They're only friends. Best friends. Maybe a little closer than average best friends. Maybe in a way that's not actually so average. Maybe—

"Earth to Axel," Roxas says, getting his attention by waving his hand in front of his face and pulling him back to the present. "You still with us?"

Axel clears his throat. "Y-yeah. Sorry." He grabs another slice of pizza. "What were we talking about?"

Xion smiles and Axel knows exactly what that smile means. She's subtle, but she's also sly. "We were just discussing more Secret Santa ideas."

"Great. I'm gonna need a lot of options."

"Tch. No kidding," Roxas says.

The rest of the evening is spent doing exactly that: Brainstorming. Except Axel can't help but keep the thought of him and Saïx in the back of his mind. Roxas and Xion aren't the first people to bring the concept of them dating up. And he has a strong feeling this won't be the last he hears of it. He has a strong feeling he might have to start taking this idea into serious consideration.

A day soon comes when Axel and Saïx are both off work. That doesn't happen very often anymore. So, whenever it does, they make sure to make no other plans aside from with each other. Today, they decide to keep it simple. Axel heads over to Saïx's place to binge watch stupid Christmas movies they can make fun of together. It's practically a holiday tradition for them.

"Any luck on coming up with a Secret Santa gift for Xigbar?" Saïx asks as they prepare snacks for their upcoming marathon.

Axel sighs. "Not yet."

"You do realise you only have a week left, right?"

"Yeah, I get that. What about you? Do you already have your gift?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"Your tone makes it sound like it was easy for you."

He shrugs his shoulders. "It was, in a sense. The actual exchange of said gift may not be so much."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"That's none of your concern."

"Whatever. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who hasn't gotten a gift yet. I mean, hell, Dem even found something for Larxene."

"Yes, I must admit, that is quite shocking." They both move to the couch. "What about Roxas and Xion?"

"Roxas found this really neat piece of art made up of the number thirteen for—"

"Xemnas," Saïx says. "No need to say more."

He chuckles. "Right. And Xion got this white noise machine for Lexaeus. He's a quiet guy and all, but apparently he hates falling asleep in dead silence."

"How thoughtful of her.

"That's exactly how she wanted to come across."

"Hmm." He tilts his head thoughtfully. "Doesn't Xigbar have a sort of model weapons collection? Perhaps you could get him a model gun or model katana or something along those lines."

Axel's eyes widen. "Holy shit, I totally forgot about that. It's weird, but that's a fucking brilliant idea." He smiles. "Thanks, man."

"Of course. Aren't I always bailing you out of trouble?"

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up and start the movie."

He chuckles under his breath before doing just that. They then fall silent as they focus on the horrible acting and even worse plots. In one movie, Saïx needs to keep reminding Axel as to who is who seeing as they all look the same to him. Some sorority Christmas theme where all the actresses have blonde hair and blue eyes.

"There's no way they all have legitimate blue eyes like that. Half of them have gotta be wearing coloured contact lenses."

"Not necessarily. Maybe the casting director specifically called for women with blonde hair and blue eyes."

"Well, that would explain why most of them can't act for shit." He laughs. "Man, this is terrible. Sororities should be kept in horror movies."

Saïx shakes his head at him, but Axel can tell he's holding back a chuckle. He then gets to his feet. "Need a refill on anything?"

"Nah, I'm good."

With that, he heads for the kitchen. Axel turns to watch him before taking a deep breath and pausing the movie. He stands up and joins Saïx in the kitchen.

"Change your mind?" he asks.

"Uh, no, I—" Axel clears his throat. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course. You don't need to ask."

"Right. Uhm…" His throat is suddenly way too dry. "Has anyone ever brought up the concept to you before of you and I," he gestures between the two of them, "d-dating?"

Saïx seems completely taken aback by the question. "Oh." His gaze drops to the floor. "I believe Demyx has said something about it before, if I'm being honest. A-and…Marluxia and Larxene. I think they've joked about it happening." He pauses, almost as if he's trying to catch his breath. "Why?"

"Nothing. Just, y'know, Roxas and Xion mentioned it the other day and…" He shakes his head. "I dunno. Maybe they were just trying to fuck with me. Thought it would be funny or something"

"Yes. Maybe. The three of you do seem to have that sort of friendship."

"You mean the type of friendship where they enjoy pissing me?" He nods with a huff of a chuckle. "Yeah."

Now he grins. "I'm sure they mean no harm."

"I guess it just caught me off guard."

"Understandable." Saïx moves past him to return to the couch.

"Have you ever thought about it on your own?" Axel asks, turning with the movement of the other.

"Thought about…?"

The word is stuck in his still too-dry throat. "Us." His heart nearly stops once he finally gets it out.

"I…can't say I have."

"Oh." He tries his damnedest not to feel disappointed. "I mean—Right. Of course not. That would be weird, huh?"

"Yes. Quite strange indeed."

He nods his head. Probably too much. "Yeah." He's almost positive he just gave himself whiplash. "Well, let's finish the marathon."

They both return to the couch and Saïx resumes the movie. Axel can't pay attention to it, though. Not anymore. Not with Saïx in such close proximity to him. It's never bothered him before. It's never meant anything to him before. But now…

Man, he's in trouble.

"Please, please, please, tell me you found Xigbar a gift," Xion says the night before the exchange is to take place. Axel called her and Roxas over for Chinese takeout. "Please."

Axel chuckles. "Yeah, I found something, don't worry. Saïx reminded me of that model weapons collection he's got going on and I found these things called arrow guns." He shrugs his shoulder. "I dunno, seemed his style."

"Better than bedazzled eyepatches," Roxas says. "Although, that really would've been hilarious."

"I should've gotten him a couple as a joke." He pauses. "Ah well."

"I can't stop thinking about who pulled my name and what they got me," Xion says. "It's making me seriously anxious."

Roxas nods his head. "Same. Tomorrow will definitely be interesting, to say the least. No doubt about that."

"Yeah… By the way," Axel starts, "I talked to Saïx about what you two mentioned to me the other day."

His brows furrow. "What are you—?" His eyes then widen in realisation. "Shit. You mean you actually confronted him about your feelings?"

"No. There was nothing to confront. There was nothing to confess. There are no feelings between me and Saïx. No romantic feelings, at least."

"I'm sorry, but…you're joking, right?" Xion speaks up.

"I've never thought of Saïx that way and Saïx has never thought of me that way. He said so himself. So, you," he gestures to Roxas, "were wrong."

Roxas lets out a short laugh. "Like hell I'm wrong. Saïx is just lying."

"Why would he lie about that?"

"I dunno. For fear of ruining the friendship? I mean, why the hell does anyone lie about anything?"

"Hold on… You brought it up with him which means you've been thinking about it," Xion goes on. "Axel, do you have feelings for Saïx? And maybe you've just become so complacent in your friendship with him that you didn't realise you have feelings?"

"What does it even matter? Like I said, Saïx doesn't have feelings so—"

"Axel—"

"I don't wanna talk about this anymore." He shakes his head. "I don't even know why I brought it up in the first place."

"Because we're your friends and you trust us and you know we won't judge you," Roxas says.

"Maybe you should try talking to Saïx again," Xion says. "But don't beat around the bush or be ambiguous about it. Just be upfront with him. I mean, like Roxas said, he could've denied his own feelings out of fear of ruining his friendship with you."

"Sure, but… What if he truly doesn't have feelings for me?"

Roxas shrugs his shoulders. "So what? If you two are as good of friends as you say you are, then it shouldn't ruin the friendship. It shouldn't have any sort of effect between you two, really. I mean, yeah, maybe it'll be a bit awkward for a little while but moving past it shouldn't be an issue.

Axel lets out a heavy sigh as his drops his head into his hands. "This is dumb. I still don't even know for sure what my own feelings are."

"C'mon, you know that's not true," Xion says. She smiles softly. "It's okay, Axel. Besides, you need to admit it to yourself first anyhow."

He turns back on Roxas. "You say if our feelings aren't the same that it shouldn't have an effect on your friendship, and I agree with you on that, but… How am I supposed to get over a one-sided crush?"

"I dunno," Roxas says. "That might be a better question for Demyx considering his crush on Zexion."

Now he laughs. "That is not one-sided."

Xion practically squeals. "I told you."

"Wait, Zexion is into Demyx?" Roxas asks.

Axel nods. "Very much."

He pauses. "And you can see that, but you can't see that Saïx has a thing for you?"

He scoffs at him. "Shut up."

Xion giggles. "You two act so much like brothers."

"Do older brothers usually wanna beat the shit outta their younger brothers?"

"Sometimes, yeah."

"I'm okay with that, then."

Roxas chuckles almost uneasily. "Please don't beat the shit out of me."

Axel grins. "We'll see. Just keep in mind that I hold the power here."

"So long as you keep in mind that I hate you."

"Seems fair."

"Oh yeah, you two are brothers, all right. And you're both ridiculous."

They pick fun at each other as they finish the Chinese food. Once it's gone, they sit down for a short movie. Axel's mind is still elsewhere, though. It's still on Saïx. Hmm. Is Roxas right? Did he lie about his own feelings as not to risk losing their friendship? Axel won't be mad, either way, but… Bringing it up a second time might be odd. It might give Axel away. It might end in a disaster.

Or it might open the next chapter of their relationship.

"Who would like to begin the festive exchanges?" Vexen asks once everyone is gathered in the conference room at the office. He looks around and sighs when no one volunteers. "Don't make me call on people."

"Why don't you go first?" Luxord speaks up. "You're the one who's trying the hardest anyhow."

He scoffs. "Fine. Whoever my gift is for will go next, so on and so forth." He picks up his small, nicely wrapped box. "Ironically enough, your name is the one I pulled." He hands the box over to Luxord. "You're welcome."

"So enthusiastic," Luxord says back. He shakes the box a bit. "Also, quite small." Vexen rolls his eyes at this, which causes Luxord to grin. He then unwraps the box. "Well, well, they're playing cards." Upon closer inspection, his eyes widen a bit. "Huh. Personalised playing cards." He swallows hard. "These are actually quite nice." He tucks them into his pocket. "Thank you." Vexen only nods in response. Luxord then proceeds to pull out his gift to exchange. "I had Xaldin."

Xaldin takes the heftier box from Luxord and wastes no time unwrapping it. "A thirteen-piece knife set," he says. "I was in the market for some new knives." He nods his thanks and Luxord nods back. "My gift is for Xion."

"Oh." Xion jolts a bit at the sound of her name. She gets to her feet and crosses the room to retrieve her gift. Once she returns to her seat, she starts pulling the tissue paper out of the bag. Her face lights up at what's inside. "Candles. Hibiscus, ocean waves, and sea salt scents." She smiles. "These are so perfect. Thank you so much." She carefully sets the bag aside and pulls her own gift from under her chair. "Mine is for Lexaeus." She stands up and walks it over to him.

He takes his time unwrapping it. When he finally finishes, he simply holds it up to show to everyone else.

"Uhm… What the hell is it?" Larxene speaks up.

"It's a white noise machine," Xion tells them.

She snickers. "That's so lame."

Lexaeus shoots Larxene a glare before giving a Xion a small smile. Xion blushes back ever so slightly. Lexaeus then gets to his feet and walks his gift over to Roxas.

"Thanks," Roxas says, gesturing the bag to Lexaeus once he's sitting again. There isn't any tissue paper for him to work around, so he just opens the bag and pulls out what's inside. "Coffee beans from around the world. Hey, this is pretty cool and will definitely come in handy. Thanks again." He sets the bag aside and picks his gift up. "Mine is for the big boss." He gets up to pass it over to Xemnas.

Axel's grinning when Roxas returns to his seat, so Roxas discreetly nudges him in the gut with his elbow. This only causes Axel to want to laugh out loud. He somehow refrains from doing so.

"How intriguing," Xemnas speaks up. "Thirteen is my lucky number." He nods his head once. "Much appreciated."

"You're welcome, sir."

Axel leans closer to Roxas so only he can hear him say, "Good job."

"Shut up."

He chuckles under his breath.

"Saïx," Xemnas goes on. "I pulled your name."

Axel freezes. "Shit. I had been so caught up in who pulled Boss' name that I didn't even think about whose name Boss pulled."

"Does it matter?" Roxas asks.

He shrugs his shoulders. "Guess not."

Saïx returns to his seat and Axel can tell he's not entirely comfortable. He unwraps the first of the two boxes. "A moon and star cufflinks," he says. "They seem quite exquisite." He unwraps the second box. "And earrings to match." He clears his throat. "Thank you very much, sir."

Xemnas smiles at him. "You're very welcome."

There's a pang in Axel's chest. Jealousy? He's not sure. But he's focused on that smile—smirk—spread across his boss' lips. Something about it bothers him.

"Axel?" he hears a voice. "Axel?" It registers as Saïx's voice. He shakes his head and looks over at his best friend. "Your name is the one I pulled."

He holds back a wide smile. His name was the one Saïx pulled that he was _perfectly content_ with? Well, no wonder he hadn't wanted to tell him whose name he got. He diminishes his grin and takes the box from Saïx, who shoots him a small smile in return. Axel then starts unwrapping the gift, suddenly feeling like a far too excitable child on Christmas morning.

Except when he reaches the gift itself, that excitement weakens. "It's a…scarf," he speaks up, pulling a red and black scarf out of the box. "Oh. And matching earmuffs." He forces a smile. "Pretty cool. Thanks, buddy."

He's still smiling that small, genuine smile. "Good. I'm glad you like them. Apparently, they match your—What's the word you used, Demyx?"

"Aesthetic," Demyx says. He grins. "Good pick, man."

"Yeah, real good one." He places the scarf back in the box. "Okay." He sets it aside and pulls his gift out. "I pulled Xigbar's name." He gets up and hands the box over.

"I swear, Flamesilocks, if there are eyepatches with, like…jewels on them or some sort of bullshit…" Xigbar shakes his head, inhaling sharply. "I will kick your ass."

Axel chuckles. "Y'know, man, I had actually thought about doing that as a joke, but then decided against it on account of knowing you would kick my ass." He pauses. "Or try to, at least." He winks at him.

Xigbar rolls his eyes. He then opens the package and freezes. "Are these…model arrow guns?"

"Yeah. You still have that collection, right?"

"These are infamously rare."

"You're welcome, then."

"Don't get cocky."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Another roll of his eyes. He puts the model weapons down and pulls out his own gift. "I drew Marly's name."

"Oh, wonderful," Marluxia speaks up. He meets Xigbar halfway for the gift. Once he's seated again, he's quick to unwrap the gift. He glares across the room at his gift-giver. "Really?"

Xigbar's grinning, leaning back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest. "What? You like flowers, don't ya? And these are decorative, so they'll never wilt or die."

Marluxia shakes his head. "Thanks. I guess." He nearly drops the bag on the floor. "The name I pulled was Vexen's."

Vexen lets out a soft sigh at this. "I was afraid of that." He retrieves the gift from Marluxia and returns to his seat. He takes another deep breath before unwrapping the gift. His face drops almost instantaneously. "A toy chemistry set?"

"What? You like playing scientist."

Xigbar lets out a loud laugh. "And you got mad at me for my dumb gift. Yours is just as bad."

"Enough," Xemnas speaks up. "This was supposed to be taken seriously." He closes his eyes. "Who is left?"

"I'll continue," Demyx says. "Might as well get it over with." He breathes deep before stepping up to Larxene. "Here."

She sneers at him. "You have got to be kidding me? Ugh." She takes the gift from Demyx almost as if she's disgusted by it. She opens the bag and her eyes widen. "Is this…a bubble bath set?"

"Bath bombs and everything," Demyx goes on. "Figured the reason you're such a raging bitch all the time is because you're always super stressed. Thought this might help you relax for once in your godforsaken life."

"Y'know, I'll let that slide this time because this is actually pretty considerate." She rolls her eyes. "Kudos, dumbass." She sets the bath set aside and retrieves her gift. "I pulled Zexion's name."

Zexion covers the short distance to Larxene to take ownership of his gift. He sits back down and makes quick work of the unwrapping process. "A book trilogy. And in a genre that I enjoy. It's like you actually tried."

Larxene focuses on picking her nails. "Whatever."

He grins a bit. "Well, last but certainly not least." He returns to his feet and stands before Demyx. "For you."

"Oh. Thanks." Demyx takes his gifts. He unwraps them in haste, his eyes widening at the first glimpse. "Holy shit. Are these—?" He finishes unwrapping rather than finishing the question. "Vinyl records of my three favourite albums. Hold up, you remembered my three favourites albums?" Zexion nods and Demyx smiles wide. "These are seriously awesome, Zex. You're the best."

Axel leans into Roxas once more. "Told ya it's not one-sided."

With that, Xemnas decides to dismiss everyone early, wishing them all an enjoyable holiday season. Axel gathers his—aggravatingly _stupid_—gift and gets out of the office promptly. Unfortunately, though, Saïx isn't far behind him.

"Axel," he calls after him. "Would you slow down?"

He breathes deep before forcing himself to stop dead in his tracks. "Yeah?"

Saïx's brow furrows. "What's the matter?"

"Is that a joke?"

"Is it…supposed to be?"

It takes everything in him not to scoff and storm off. "A scarf?" he goes on. He opens the back door of his car and tosses the present inside before slamming the door shut again. "These gifts were supposed to be personable. You've known me longer than anyone. For my entire life. And you get me a fucking scarf? The hell is that about?"

"Axel—"

"If this had been the other way around, I would've put way more time and thought into my gift for you." He shakes his head. "Tch. Guess this is one-sided, after all."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what? Never mind." He walks around his car to get inside.

"Axel—"

"Just forget it."

He climbs inside and slams the door. He then starts his car and drives off without looking back. His mind his reeling the entire way home. Maybe he should've given Saïx a chance to explain himself. Yeah, he probably should've. Except… What is there to explain? He pulled Axel's name in the drawing, which he was allegedly very content about, but then got him bullshit for a gift. And that's all there is to it.

As soon as he gets to his complex, his phone rings.

"I really ain't in the mood, Rox," he says.

"I get that, but just hear me out," Roxas starts anyway. "I know you're pissed about what Saïx gave you and that you feel it's thoughtless or whatever, but apparently he didn't draw your name originally."

"What do you mean?"

"Zexion drew your name. But then Zexion approached Saïx and asked him if he wanted to trade, and it just so happened to work out that Saïx had pulled Demyx's name."

"Okay…" He reaches his door and fumbles for his keys for a moment. "So, if Saïx wanted my name that badly for the Secret Santa, then why the hell did he skimp out on the gift? It makes absolutely," his door swings open and his eyes widen at the sight before him, "no sense."

"Axel?"

"I'll call you back."

He hangs up the phone before giving Roxas the chance to respond. Axel then sets it down on the table beside the front door. He steps further into his apartment, looking around at all the fairy lights that have been strung up. The candles lit and meticulously placed. And once he's facing his front door, Saïx is standing there.

"Did I mention there was a second part to your gift?" he speaks up.

The breath catches in Axel's throat. "And what would that be?"

He lets himself into the apartment and closes the door behind him. "A confession."

"Saïx…"

"I have thought about us," he goes on. "Dating, I mean. I think about it a lot, actually. I think about how much I want that."

He swallows hard. "Y-you do?"

"Of course I do. You're my best friend and there's no one else I'd rather share everything with. I've done my dating around and…I'm over it." He meets Axel's gaze. "I'm hoping you are, too."

A smile now twitches across his lips as he steps closer to Saïx. "How long have you been planning this, exactly?"

"Well, I may have told Roxas and Xion to bring up us—"

Axel cups Saïx's chin with his thumb and index finger and kisses him before he can finish that thought. He already knows where he's going with it; he doesn't need to hear more. Saïx's hands find their way to Axel's forearms and squeeze ever so slightly.

"You manipulative asshole," Axel says once he breaks the kiss.

Saïx chuckles. "I wanted to surprise you."

"You did."

"So…what now?"

"Now, we'll figure it out step-by-step. And the first step…"

Axel smirks before recapturing Saïx's lips with his own. The first step is kissing each other until they run out of air. Until their lungs burst. The first step is making up for years of not kissing each other. Then they'll figure it out from there. Better yet, they'll figure it out together.

When Axel pulls away once more, he's still grinning deviously. He strokes Saïx's cheeks with his thumbs. "Man, I _love_ Secret Santa."


	2. The Party

"You invited _Isa_?" Lea says. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that Isa is our friend, too," Kairi says as she bounces back and forth in the kitchen, prepping the appetisers for the party she's throwing.

"Have you already forgotten that we just broke up?"

"No, I have not forgotten. But, regardless, Isa is still like another big brother to me."

He clutches at his chest. "Break my heart, why don't ya?"

She rolls her eyes. "Must you be so dramatic?"

"Must you invite my ex-boyfriend to your holiday party?"

She all but slams the tray she's holding onto the counter. "Lea, I'm sorry, but the three of us have been friends since childhood. I am not going to start excluding him now. How is that fair?"

He grits his teeth. Damn it. He hates when she's right. "Fine. But I am not talking to him and you can't make me."

"Fine. Whatever." She takes the tray back in her hands. "So long as you're civil." She then heads out to the living room.

Lea takes a deep breath. "It's gonna be a long night."

And the night is only beginning, too. Kairi's friends Riku and Sora are the first to arrive, along with Sora's twin cousins, Roxas and Ventus. Not too long after that, Lea's friend from work, Terra, shows up with his girlfriend Aqua.

"How many people are supposed to show up tonight?" Aqua asks.

"There will be at least twenty of us," Kairi says, "give or take if anyone decides to bring someone along."

"That's a decent amount of people," Terra says.

Roxas grins. "Yeah. Didn't realise you had so many friends."

Kairi scoffs at him, although there's no real heat behind it. "I preferred you better when you were quiet and kept to yourself."

Lea smiles. "Ah, yes, the good old days."

Kairi giggles before responding to the next knock on the front door. She excuses herself and Riku approaches the setup of drinks.

"Which of these have alcohol in them?" he asks.

Lea leans back against the counter. "Nice try. Kairi has forbade any alcoholic beverages for the evening. It's…unfortunate, really."

"I wouldn't have come if I had known that."

"Shut up, yeah you would have."

Riku chuckles. "Yeah, yeah, but still. Why no drinking?"

Lea shrugs his shoulders. "I dunno."

"It's because Lea is still sensitive to his and Isa's breakup," Ventus speaks up. "And Kairi is worried he'll go overboard."

"Hold on," a female voice says from behind. They look to see Kairi returning with Xion and Naminé. "You and Isa broke up?" Naminé goes on. "When the hell did this happen and why am I only just hearing about it now?"

"It only happened, like, a week ago," Lea tells her.

"Then I should have heard about it a week ago." She huffs, defeated. "What happened? You two are so perfect together?"

"Tch. Apparently not." He clears his throat. "Like Ven said, though, it's still a bit of a sore spot for me, so I'd rather not talk about it."

Her brow furrows. "I'm so sorry, Lea."

"Don't worry about it. Shit happens."

That's the end of it. More people start arriving and everyone splits up and starts chatting with the new guests. Lea can't help but keep glancing at the door, though. Isa has yet to show up. He's never been the type to show up late. Quite the opposite, actually. Usually, he's at least ten or fifteen minutes early to event. Maybe he had decided against coming. Maybe he realised how uncomfortable it would be. Especially for Lea. Maybe—

The front door opens.

Or maybe he had just needed to pick up his…_date_.

Lea's stomach drops. Hell, he's shocked his entire body didn't just drop. He turns away from the door and hightails it into the kitchen. He suddenly feels light-headed. The room is spinning. He can't catch his breath. Shit. This can_not_ be happening. There's no way in hell Isa just walked in with a date. Lea must've imagined it. He had to have. Isa wouldn't do that. He's not that inconsiderate. He's not the _stupid_. He's—

He's introducing his date to Kairi. His date. Who Lea definitely didn't imagine.

And Kairi is Kairi, so _of course_ she'll be all sweet and polite. Of course she won't get mad. Not in public. She won't make a scene. It's taking everything in Lea not to make a scene, though. He moves away from the threshold so he can't see past the kitchen. He keeps telling himself to breathe. Reminding himself. It isn't easy right now. Not with Isa on the other side of the wall _with a date_. Damn it. It's only been a week. How could he do this? What the hell is he thinking? Tch. And to think he had told Lea he—

"There you are," Xion says, finding her way into the kitchen. "Roxas and I weren't sure where you had disappeared to and we got worried."

"Where's Roxas, then?"

"He's checking the bathroom." She moves closer to him, just a touch of hesitation in her steps. "What's going through your head?"

Lea only shakes his head in response. Then Roxas is joining them. "Man, I can't believe he'd pull a stunt like this," he starts. "Maybe at a part of his own, yeah, but not as his ex-boyfriend's sister's party. This is bullshit."

"I don't know, Rox, it seems very out of character for him," Xion goes on. "Maybe I can try talking to him about it before we all freak out."

"Too late for that," Lea speaks up. He swallows hard, trying to soothe his dry throat. "I'll be fine. I just need a minute and I'll be good as new." He nods his head. He somehow got that out without his voice shaking. And it was convincing enough for Roxas and Xion. They both take their leave and rejoin the party. Lea lets out a heavy sigh as soon as they're both gone. "Fuck me…"

He takes a look around the kitchen before checking the doorway again. He watches and waits to see if anyone else will walk in. Then the sound of Isa's laughter carries in from the next room over. A lyrical sound that could rattle the stars. Right now, though, it's only piercing Lea's heart. So, he starts searching through the cabinets until he finds—

"Bingo." He examines the bottle, feeling _almost_ guilty but not guilty enough. "Sorry, Kairi, but desperate times call for desperate measures." He grabs a mug and pours his sister's homemade hot cocoa into it. He then proceeds to pour his…_special_ ingredient into the cup and mixes it together. "This'll make the night so much better."

He stashes the bottle under the sink and rejoins the party. Roxas introduces Lea to a few of his friends from school: Hayner, Pence, and Olette. They seem friendly enough. Like the exact kind of people Roxas would hang out with. Once they start talking about school, though, Lea excuses himself. He sneaks back into the kitchen to refill his cup, then sneaks back into the party. He looks around at all the faces enjoying themselves. He spots Kairi and watches her while she enjoys herself. He smiles, that feeling of remorse bubbling up again. He looks down at the cup in his hand. He should probably pour the rest of this out before he gets too—

"Lea," a voice catches his attention. Catches him off guard.

He freezes and swallows hard. He looks beside himself at Isa. "Hey."

The corners of his lips twitch. It's like he's trying not to smile. Tch. Maybe he understands how inappropriate that would be. Maybe he understands how inappropriate his actions are. "How are you?"

"Great," Lea says, maybe a little too swiftly. He nods his head. "I'm awesome."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Are you?"

Isa is taken aback by this. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I dunno. Why the fuck are you talking to me instead of your date?"

His gaze drops. "Lea—"

"Y'know, I really don't feel like talking to you."

Now he rolls his eyes, shaking his head. "C'mon, Lea, do you really want to throw away years of friendship?"

"No, I don't. I really fucking don't. But I can't bounce back to being your friend just like that. It's gonna take time and I sure as hell ain't ready for that."

"Fine. When will you be ready?"

"I don't know. Not tonight, though. And not tomorrow. Not even in a week." He gestures mildly to Isa's date. "Unlike you." He finishes off his cup. "Gonna get a refill. You should get back to your date."

And he walks away to return to the kitchen. He freshens up his drink and finishes half of it before turning around to see Demyx leaning against the doorframe with a shit-eating grin across his face.

"Whatcha got there?"

No point in lying. "Rum," Lea says. "This hot chocolate has rum in it. I've been putting rum in my hot chocolate."

He laughs as if he won some sort of bet. "Awe, man, I _knew_ there was something off about your behaviour."

Lea raises a finger to his lips and practically stumbles over to Demyx. "Don't—Do not tell Kairi. She will be so pissed."

"And ruin and opportunity to see drunk-Lea? Hell no. I love drunk-Lea."

He groans. "Man, this ain't good." They exit the kitchen together and Lea's gaze almost instantly finds Isa's across the room. Isa breaks the contact first. "I hate this."

"It's okay to be jealous," Demyx tells him. "Hell, dude, _I'm_ jealous. His date is fucking _hot_. Ienzo is his name." He pauses. "Maybe I could steal him away. I mean, they don't even look like they're flirting with each other or anything. I don't think I've seen them touch once tonight."

"It takes Isa a while to get to that touchy-feely point."

Shit. Even he can hear his words starting to slur. He needs to slow it down. But the longer he's in the same room with Isa and his date—_Ienzo_—the more he wants to drink. The more he wants to not be aware of his ex-boyfriend's presence.

"Didn't seem to take long with you," Demyx goes on.

"Because we've known each other since we were four."

"Right, right. Makes sense." He nods. "Either way, my offer's still open." He grins as he smooths his hair back. "No one can resist Demyx once the charm gets turned on."

"Don't bother."

He watches Isa for a couple seconds longer before finishing his cup. He then nearly falls over. Demyx yells…_something_—he's not sure what—as he moves promptly to catch Lea and keep him on his feet. Oh yeah. The alcohol is definitely hitting him now. Hard. Kairi and Naminé rush over to him and they're both speaking—he can clearly see their mouths moving—but he can't hear a single word either of them is saying. Demyx guides him to the armchair and everyone else starts to gather round, as well. Riku and Roxas and Xion and Ventus and—Lea drops his head in his hands and grips at his hair, practically pulling on it. Not being able to hear anything before had been better than _this_. Now he can hear everyone; he just can't process anything that's being said. It's sensory overload. And the gentle hand on his shoulder is the final straw.

"_Stop_," he calls out, jumping to his feet.

His eyes are closed, but he can feel the stares of the others. He can feel the gazes burning through him. So, he storms out of the apartment. He storms out of the building. He needs fresh air. He needs—

"I do—do not—don't need you coming after me," he says when he spots Isa coming out of the complex behind him.

"You're drunk," Isa says back.

"What _the fuck_ do you care?" He had had way more alcohol than he realised. "You're not obligated to care anymore."

"Friends care. I'm still your friend."

"I don't want you to—to be my friend."

He clenches his jaw. "What the hell is your issue?"

"S-seriously? You really—? You have to ask me that?" He laughs to cover up a scoff. "Fuck, Isa, you sh-showed up with someone else."

"Yes, because we broke up."

"A _week_ ago." He stumbles into the alley beside the complex. Isa continues to follow him. "Hell, and I'm supposed to think now—I'm supposed to _believe_ that you meant it when you told me you—that you loved me?"

"That's not fair. You're the one who didn't say it back."

"Because I wasn't ready. N-not because I didn't feel it, too." He slumps against the nearest wall. He probably shouldn't have said that. Man, being drunk is exhausting. Yet there's something about this argument that's completely sobering.

"Lea…" Isa seems to be at a loss for words. "Why didn't you tell me that before?"

He's staring at the wet ground. "I dunno." His voice is much lower now than it had been before. "Guess I was afraid of upsetting you or…whatever."

He considers this. "So, ending the relationship was the better way of handling it?"

"I didn't know what else to do."

"You should've talked to me. I mean, we'd only been dating for six months. We've only known each other our whole lives. I would think talking to me should be second nature to you by now."

"Well, it ain't that simple."

"Why not?"

Lea's not sure why. He just knows he had been so afraid of fucking up with Isa that he went ahead and jumped the gun. He ended the relationship before he could screw up for real. And now… Tch. Now he's drunk in an alley with his sober ex—ex-best friend, ex-boyfriend—and he's never felt more ridiculous. More stupid. More ashamed. Man, this is the worst kind of fuck up he could've accomplished.

"You've made a fool of yourself," Isa goes on.

"Good. Guess you got off easy, then."

"Are you that fucking dumb? I mean, listen to yourself, Lea."

"Little too drunk to process."

Isa takes a step closer to him. "Why did you end our relationship?"

Lea shrugs his shoulders. "Figured you would've ended it on your own seeing as I didn't say…_it_ back."

His brow furrows. "Do you know me at all? You really believe I would've broken up with you over something that trivial? Because I wouldn't have. You didn't have to say it back right away. Hell, I would've waited another six months if I had to. Or longer."

"C'mon, how would that have been fair?" It's taking everything in him to keep his voice from cracking.

"It has absolutely nothing to do with fairness." He shakes his head. "I-I can't force you to say something you're not ready for. And I wouldn't."

Lea squeezes his eyes shut. When did they become so wet? Damn it… "Isa—" He chokes on the words.

He feels Isa step even closer to him. Feels him close the distance between them. Feels the warmth of his body. The pressure of it as he gently pulls Lea into his arms. Presses their foreheads together. Cups Lea's cheeks, stroking them. Wiping away the drunken tears. Man, tonight is a disaster. But maybe it's redeemable.

"This doesn't have to be over," Isa speaks up, his voice soft.

Lea can feel Isa's breath against his lips. He can still taste the alcohol on his own tongue. This isn't a good idea. Not now. Not like this. But Isa is right there. And it's only been a week, but, damn it, he's missed him like it's been a lifetime.

A lifetime without Isa would be a dreary existence.

He holds his breath as he brings their lips together. Isa doesn't retreat. He smiles into the kiss and wraps his arms around Lea's neck. So, Lea wraps his arms around Isa's waist. Yeah. This is the lifetime he wants. The lifetime he desires.

"I should probably go apologise to your date," Lea says once they break apart.

Isa shakes his head. "Ienzo isn't my date."

"Huh? Why didn't you say anything, then?"

"Well, honestly, I was enjoying your jealousy until I realised you were drunk."

"Then who he is?"

"An old friend from the abroad programme I participated in our third year of college. He made plans to visit this weekend and it just sorta worked out that Kairi threw the party while he's here. I brought him because I think he'd be a good match for Demyx."

"Well, good, because Demyx thinks he's hot and was planning on stealing him from you anyhow."

He chuckles. "Of course." He steps away from Lea, who reluctantly lets him go. "C'mon, it's freezing out here. Let's get back inside and get some water in your system."

"Sounds like a plan."

As soon as they make it back to the apartment, Kairi rushes over to them. She starts going off about—Lea's not entirely sure. He just knows that Isa calms her down. They then slip away to the guest bedroom. Isa tells Lea to get comfortable before leaving to retrieve him a glass of water. Lea watches Isa as he leaves before heading into the bathroom. He stands at the sink and splashes cold water on his face. He then takes a deep breath before meeting his reflection's gaze. His eyes already look sunken. A duller shade of green. They'll look even worse in the morning, too. Hell, drinking like this never ends well for him, yet he continues to do it. And it's always worse when he's upset about something. He needs a better outlet. He needs—

Isa appears in the reflection behind him. "Here." He hands him the glass of water.

Lea turns to face him and takes the cup. "Thank you." He drinks it in one go before setting the empty cup down. He then wraps his arms around Isa and pulls him in close. Isa smiles as he goes with the flow of the motion. "I'm sorry," Lea says. "I've been a jerk."

"No, you're just an idiot," Isa says. "Quite frankly, I'm used to that, though."

He chuckles. "Oh, thanks." He then sighs. "But I am sorry."

"You don't have to apologise. I should've realised sooner what was bothering you."

"It's not your job to read my mind."

Isa smiles softly as he places a hand on Lea's cheek. Lea closes his eyes and leans into the touch. Next thing he knows, Isa's hand is bracing itself at the nape of his neck and pulling him in for another kiss. This one is hard and desperate. Lea's hand leave Isa's waist just so he can catch himself on the counter with the force of Isa pressing against him. It's been a long week and Lea—in his still nearly drunken state—is tempted to carry Isa to the bed. Or just sit him on the countertop instead. With the way Isa is kissing him and tugging at his shirt, Lea knows he wouldn't complain.

That's when they hear somebody clear their voice from the doorway. Isa quickly removes himself from Lea's hold and they both look to see Kairi standing there, arms folded across her chest. Roxas is snickering to himself behind her.

"I see you two have made up," she says.

Lea jumps a bit to seat himself atop the counter. "C'mon, sis, I thought you'd be happier for us."

She shakes her head. "I can't believe you went behind my back and got drunk."

"Can my scolding wait till the morning? I can already feel a headache coming on."

"But I wanna be hear when she screams at you," Roxas speaks up.

Kairi turns on him. "Go home."

He jokingly pouts. "Fine. Great party, Kairi. I'll see you guys later." He turns to leave but stops. "Oh, Isa, your date left with Demyx. Just so you know."

Isa chuckles under his breath. "I suppose no one can compete with his charm."

He pauses. "Uh…we are talking about the same Demyx, right?"

"Go," Kairi says again.

"Okay, okay." He bids them farewell once more and takes his leave.

Kairi now turns on Isa. "Did you plan this?"

"Not on Lea getting drunk, no."

Her jaw drops and she seems to be at a loss for words. "You're both absolutely ridiculous and that is what makes the two of you such a perfect couple." She walks away, shaking her head. "Unbelievable…"

Once she's gone, Lea slips off the counter and steps up to Isa, pushing him back until he has him pressed against the wall. He places his hands on the wall on either side of Isa's head. "Seeing as there's a damn good chance your date won't be home tonight, maybe that means you can stay with me."

Isa swallows hard. "And why would I want to?"

Lea smirks. He brings his lips to Isa's, kissing him fervently. Isa kisses back with the same passion, sliding his hands up Lea's chest and to his shoulders. Lea presses their bodies—their hips—together in response, causing Isa to whimper ever so slightly.

"That was quite a compelling argument," Isa says once Lea pulls away. "But I really don't think this would be a good idea tonight. Considering."

He smooths Isa's hair back. "I know. You're right." He places a soft kiss atop his forehead. "Will you still at least stay with me and keep me company?"

"Only to make sure you don't vomit on yourself in your sleep."

He chuckles. "Yeah, that's a mood killer, all right."

With that, the two of them get ready for bed. They slip into the bed and Isa convinces Lea to sleep on his side, despite how much he hates doing so. Lea closes his eyes, exhaustion having taken over him as soon as his head hit the pillow. He breathes deep and lets out a content sigh. Hmm. A little part of him is disgruntled with himself seeing as this whole situation could've been avoided if he had just talked with Isa in the first place. But he's just happy—thankful—they were able to work things out. Now Lea knows better for the next time he fucks up. He hopes there won't actually be a next time, but—

"Lea," Isa speaks up through the darkness.

"Yeah, babe?"

There's a pause and Lea knows it's because Isa is blushing at the pet name. He smiles at the thought. "I do love you," Isa then says. "And I'm not saying that just to hear you say it back. I'm saying it just so you know."

Lea shifts so he can kiss Isa's cheek. "Tell me again when I'm sober."

Isa lets out a small huff or breath and Lea can _hear_ the playful eyeroll from it. "Goodnight, you impossible moron."

He grins to himself. Yeah. Isa will tell him again in the morning. When Lea's sober. When he has a clearer mind. And maybe then, after the week that's passed, Lea will have a new response for him. A different response. A better response.

Nothing like alcohol and jealousy to help Lea realise his true feelings. Tch. Happy fucking holidays.


	3. Better

Lea's hands are stuffed in his pockets as he makes his way down the street, a cold wind blowing right into his face. He wishes he had a scarf to cover his face because he swears his nose is about ready to fall off. Man, he hates wintertime. He'd spend all his time sitting in front of a fireplace if he could.

He hears footsteps behind him that sound like they're running. Then there's suddenly an arm snaking its way between his arms and torso. He looks beside him to see who the hell is cozying up to him on the side of the street.

"Please tell me you're heading to the Nocturne," Naminé says.

Lea chuckles. "You poor thing. You look worse off than I feel."

"Larxene refused to pick me up from work because she was too busy hanging out with her boyfriend."

"Well, I think that deserves the Sister of the Year Award."

"Good one." She shivers violently before pushing herself closer into Lea's embrace. "Can I disown myself from my sister? Is that a thing? Maybe you and Kairi can adopt me. That would be the best holiday present ever."

Lea moves his arm to wrap around Naminé's shoulders. "C'mon, we're not too far from the Nocturne."

They hasten their pace, both wanting to get out of the cold more than anything else. And when they round the street corner and the beloved café appears in the distance, they nearly book it the rest of the way. Lea reaches the entrance first, but only to pull the door open for Naminé. She steps inside and takes a deep breath.

"Smells amazing in here," she says.

Lea steps in behind her, pulling the door shut. "Shit. Yeah, it does."

"Ienzo's baking again," Demyx calls out. Lea and Naminé look towards the direction of his voice, but neither of them can spot him. He then pops up from behind the counter. "Something about the holidays." He smiles. "You two want your usual?"

"Please," Lea says before following Naminé to a corner booth.

"So, had you been heading this way—" Naminé starts once Demyx serves them both their drinks. A cinnamon chai for Lea and a hazelnut hot cocoa for Naminé, "—or did you just accompany me here to be nice?"

"I was heading this way, don't ya worry."

She laughs. "I wasn't sure if you had maybe been on your way home to see Isa. I mean, it's not very often we see either of you without the other anymore."

Lea forces his own little laugh. "Yeah, uh… No, he's busy at work today."

"That's too bad." She sips at her drink. "He's free tomorrow, at least, right?"

Just then, the front door opens again and Kairi, Riku, and Sora stumble inside. They wave to Demyx who greets them all simultaneously. The three of them spot Lea and Naminé and join them in the booth.

"I'm so glad you're here," Kairi says, scooting in close to Lea.

"Why? So that you can steal my heat?"

"Exactly. What else are big brothers for?"

Naminé nods here head. "That's why I'm saying." She takes another sip of her drink. "I told Lea earlier that I'm gonna disown myself from Larxene so that you two can adopt me."

"I don't—I don't think it works like that," Riku says.

"Don't ruin this for me."

He chuckles. "Sorry."

Demyx delivers three more drinks to the table for the new arrivals. Sora tilts his head at the gesture. "But…we didn't even order yet."

"Dude, you guys are here all the time. You think I don't know your orders yet?" He scoffs as if he's hurt. "I'm insulted." And he returns behind the counter.

Kairi breathes deep as she moves away from Lea. "What is that incredible smell?"

"Apparently Ienzo is baking," Lea says.

"I hope we get to try whatever it is he's baking," Sora says.

Riku's laughing again. "We just had lunch."

"What? So, I'm not allowed to be hungry anymore?"

"I—" He shakes his head. "Never mind."

Lea grins. "I see dating life is going well for you two."

"He's impossible. I mean, he was impossible before, but now—"

"Riku's just mean," Sora speaks up. He smiles wide at the other. "Guess I have a thing for jerks."

Lea raises his cup. "Cheers to that, kid."

"Hey, you can't say that when Isa's not here," Kairi says. "It's not fair."

"Why? He clearly has you to defend him."

She quirks an eyebrow at him. "Okay…"

"Oh, that reminds me," Naminé speaks up. "Before you guys got here, I was making sure Isa will be available tomorrow."

"Right. Why's that?" Lea asks. "What's tomorrow?"

"The lighting of the town, dummy," Kairi tells him. "We promised we'd all go together to watch it, remember?"

"Oh, shit, that's tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it's tomorrow," Demyx joins in, pulling a chair up from another table to sit at the end of the booth. "Why the hell do you think Ienzo is slaving away back there?"

"Maybe you should help him," Naminé says.

Demyx bursts out laughing at this. "Good one. He's already kicked me out three separate times now."

Lea grins smugly. "What three things did ya set on fire?"

"Awe, hell no, that's you. You're the one who's always setting shit on fire. Don't think Isa doesn't tell me." Lea quirks an eyebrow and Demyx sighs. "Okay. Fine. He tells Ienzo, but then Ienzo tells me. So, don't think I still don't know because I do."

Now Lea's chuckling. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

"Are we gonna meet here tomorrow for the lighting?" Sora then asks.

"That would probably be easiest," Demyx says. "The lighting is at 9:30, right? So, we can all meet here at eight when we close, and we'll just hang out and eat and drink before the lighting."

"Sounds good," Riku says.

Naminé pulls out her phone. "I'll let Roxas and Xion know."

"And you'll obviously be seeing Isa once he gets off work, right?" Kairi says. She smiles. "So, you'll tell him when you see him?"

Lea nods his head once. "Of course."

She looks him up and down. "Are you feeling okay? You seem a bit off."

"I think I know why." Naminé waves her phone about. "Roxas told me that he'll make sure Xion reaches out to Isa because apparently Lea and Isa are fighting."

Kairi's eyes widen at this. "_What_? Why are you two fighting? What happened? What did you do?"

"Huh?" Lea folds his arms across his chest. "Why the hell do ya automatically think it's my fault?"

"Because you're my brother and I know how dramatic you are."

"Tch. Am not."

Demyx laughs. "Please, you're a bigger drama queen than even I am."

"That's because you are low maintenance, whereas Lea is high maintenance," Ienzo says as he comes out of the kitchen. "And my apologies, Lea, but it is very true."

"All right." Lea gets to his feet. "If everyone's gonna start shitting on me, then I'm gonna head home."

Demyx only laughs harder. "C'mon, don't be like that."

"No, no, I see how it is." He shrugs it off before winking at the group. "I'll catch you guys tomorrow for the lighting." And he takes his leave. As soon as he's out the café door, he bumps into— "Isa." He swallows hard. "I thought you were working all day."

Isa's gaze is on the frozen ground. "Got off early."

"Ah. Cool."

"Yeah."

The atmosphere is…uneasy. It's never like this between them. Lea _hates_ it. He and Isa have had their fair share of arguments—every couple does—but this is officially the most they've spoken to each other since the initial fight two days prior. Two days. Tch. He hates that, too.

"Well, I'll see ya at home," Lea says.

"Right. See you at home." And Isa heads into the Nocturne.

Lea lets out a heavy sigh. It's gonna be another long night. And he's not looking forward to it. Hmm. Maybe he won't head home just yet. There's nothing worse than waiting in an empty apartment for a disputable significant other who refuses to hold up his end of the conversation. Not that Lea's any better. Another sigh. Damn it.

He heads home anyway. Best not to run from these sorts of things. And once he is home, he starts cleaning the apartment. He cleans the bedroom first, and then makes his way to the bathroom. From there, he cleans the living room. Then when he's done in the kitchen, he begins to prep for cooking. He's not sure how much longer Isa will be, but he knows his socialising meter will drain. There's only so much time Isa can spend around the rest of the group, no matter how big or small, especially when Lea's not there to support and bounce off his introversion.

He cooks Isa's favourite meal. Shepherd's pie. The only pie Isa likes because he doesn't like pie crust. Lea chuckles to himself. He'll never forget the first time Isa told him that. There are a lot of things he'll never forget… Which is why he just wants to move past this dumb argument. And, granted, he's not the best of cooks, but _of course_ he's perfected Isa's favourite.

The front door opens just as Lea is adding the final touches. He quickens his motions just a bit and sets the plates down on the table as Isa rounds the corner into the kitchen.

"What's this?" Isa asks.

Okay. Not the response Lea had been shooting for. Hoping for. "Uh…dinner? I know it's still early, but—"

"Is this supposed to make everything better? Or make it all go away?"

Now he doesn't even know how to react. "That's not—" He shakes his head, knowing he has to be careful with his words when Isa's on the defencive. "I thought we could at least talk over some good food."

"There's nothing to talk to talk about." And he heads for the bedroom.

"There's a lot to talk about, actually." He follows him but doesn't get too far before he's bumping into Isa, who's standing in the doorway. "What?"

"Did you…_clean_, too?"

He sighs. "For fuck's sake… Yeah. Sue me."

Isa rolls his eyes. "At least you know you've done something wrong." And he heads for the bathroom.

Lea continues to follow him. "Except I didn't _do_ anything at all. That's what I was hoping to talk about. I just wanna understand why the hell you're so mad."

"I shouldn't have to explain myself."

"Humour me."

He stops unbuttoning his shirt halfway down with an exasperated drop of his arms. "You were texting someone behind my back."

Now his eyes widen. "W-what? Is that—? Holy shit… That's what this is about? Isa, I was texting a _coworker_. And it wasn't behind your back. I mean, there wasn't even anything to hide. The texts were innocent, so I don't get what you're so worked up about."

"Innocent? Tch. They were so clearly flirting with you."

"Yeah. And?" He shrugs his shoulders, blown away. "Was I _so clearly_ flirting back?" Isa opens his mouth to retort, but Lea raises a finger to silence him. "No. Don't answer that because I already know I sure as shit wasn't. I mean, c'mon, don't you trust me?" At this, Isa's gaze drops to floor everything suddenly clicks into place in Lea's mind. "Wow…" He nods, pursing his lips. "You don't trust me." It's not a question.

"I didn't say that," Isa speaks up.

"You didn't say anything and—and that says plenty." He storms out of the bathroom and grabs an overnight bag. "Can't believe this."

"Where do you think you're going?" Isa asks.

"Gonna go to Roxas' place," he says. "I can't be here right now."

"Don't be so dramatic, Lea."

He scoffs, stuffing the first few articles of clothing he comes across into the bag. "That's rich coming from you."

"Wait, just—" Isa starts as he follows Lea towards the front door. "Hold on. Can we just talk—?"

He stops dead in his tracks and faces Isa. "Yeah? Now ya wanna talk?" He swallows hard, fighting the crack in his voice. Fighting the tears. "I gave you the chance to talk and you didn't want to. So now I don't wanna hear it." He adjusts the bag on his shoulder and takes a deep breath. "If you don't trust me, let me know. Because I can't keep doing this otherwise."

It really is a long night. As soon as Lea gets to Roxas' place, the kid won't stop pestering him with questions about his fight with Isa. Lea doesn't wanna talk about it, though. And he tells Roxas that over and over again. Eventually, he wears the kid out, carrying him to his bed before making himself comfortable on the couch. Except he doesn't expect to get any sleep. This is the worst argument he's had with Isa and now that he's not home with him, he feels awful for storming out. He shouldn't have left. Not on those terms. It wasn't fair to either of them.

The morning comes far too soon. Lea is nowhere near rested enough for the day ahead of him. So far, the one good thing is waking up to the smell of coffee. The scent drags him off the couch, and he follows it into the kitchen to find Roxas and Xion.

Xion greets him with a big smile. "Good morning, Sleepyhead."

"Morning, Sunflower."

She blushes, scrunching her nose at the nickname. "Isa must love whatever pet-names you come up with for him."

He takes a sip of the coffee he just poured for himself and relishes in its warmth. "Let's not talk about Isa right now."

"You shouldn't have left last night," Roxas speaks up.

"Yeah, I know. Trust me. I feel like a total ass."

"You should."

He glares at him. "Why the hell am I even friends with you?"

He grins. "Yeah, I ask myself the same thing about you, so…seems fair."

Xion glances back and forth between the guys. "Okay, that's beside the point, but Roxas is right." She focuses on Lea. "Why did you take off like that?"

Lea lets out a heavy sigh, falling into the last empty chair at the table. "I dunno. I was just so upset… He practically said that he doesn't trust me. That he thinks I would cheat on him."

She tilts her head. "Something tells me there's more to it than just that."

"Doesn't matter. Pretty sure I fucked up any chance of reconciliation by leaving."

"I don't think so," Roxas says. "Isa's in love with you. I mean, I get you two have always been friends, but, like…since you two started dating it's like he's a completely different person. In a good way, though. You bring out the best in him. And he's always been more stoic and reserved, but I think you just make him feel everything at full force. But strong emotions cause strong reactions." He shrugs his shoulders. "You two just need to be more level-headed when sorting out disputes."

Shit. He makes a really damn good point. Almost _too_ good. "I'm sorry." Lea leans a little closer to him. "Ven? Is this actually you?"

Roxas sneers. "Oh, shut up." Lea and Xion both burst into laughter and Roxas jumps to his feet. "You two suck. I can deep, too." They both continue their fit of laughter as Roxas storms off to his bedroom. "_I hate you_," he calls back to them.

The rest of the morning and the afternoon pass by relatively quickly. Lea spent most of it checking his phone and typing out messages to Isa he never bothered sending. He would much rather speak with him in person, at this point. It'll be better that way.

Hopefully.

When Lea, Roxas, and Xion arrive at the Nocturn a little past eight, they're the last of the group to make it. Ienzo greets them with the cookies he had spent all day the previous day baking. Lea spots Isa sitting at their regular table, his back towards the entrance. He takes a deep breath before walking over to him.

Kairi spots him first and smiles. "Hey, big bro."

He returns the smile. "Yo." He then places a gentle hand on Isa's shoulder, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek. Isa is visibly shocked by this simple gesture. "Hey," he says, softening his voice.

Isa refuses to look at him. "Hey."

_Is this supposed to make everything better_? The words echo in Lea's mind. He squeezes Isa's shoulder—in what would be a comforting way if they weren't currently arguing—before pulling his hand back. No. This isn't gonna make anything better.

The next forty-five minutes is spent mostly goofing off. Demyx and Sora playing a weird type of charades against each other. Lea's almost positive they're making up the rules as they go along.

It's just about nine o'clock when they decide to get ready to head out. Lea makes his way for the bathroom first. He recalls a drunken hook-up he and Isa had had in this bathroom towards the beginning of their relationship and chuckles. Ienzo had been so pissed, but Demyx found it hilarious. Isa, of course, was absolutely mortified by the situation. Lea probably would've been, too, if it hadn't been for Isa's humiliation. His drunken ass had been too enamoured with how _cute_ Isa is embarrassed. Drunk and embarrassed, better yet. Hair still a hot mess from their hot hook-up. Lea chuckles to himself. Yeah. He needs to talk to Isa. He needs to fix this. He's not ready to lose the love of his life.

As soon as he steps out of the bathroom, he's greeted with Isa being shoved into him by Kairi. She then bolts towards the front door to leave with the others.

"Oh, hey, look, _mistletoe_," Xion says.

Lea and Isa glance above their heads. There is indeed mistletoe hanging above them. So, they had planned this. Tch. No surprise there.

"You two are not allowed to move from that spot until you kiss and makeup," Naminé proceeds to tells them.

Riku smiles. "Better make it quick if you wanna catch the lighting."

With that, everyone leaves. The door swings shut behind Ienzo and Lea and Isa hear the lock _click_ from the other side.

"You do know we don't actually have to stay here," Isa speaks up. "Nothing is physically keeping us here."

"Sure, but we should talk," Lea says.

"I didn't think you were interested in talking anymore."

He drops his head. "Look… I'm sorry for leaving last night. That was uncalled for. But…" He folds his arms across his chest. "It hurts to know you don't trust me."

"It's not that I don't trust you. It's just—" He pauses, sighing. "I never told you this, but I have been cheated on before."

He takes a deep breath. "I know."

"Y-you know?"

"Yeah. Your boyfriend before me, right?" Isa simply nods in response, still somewhat in shock. Lea nods his head once in return. "He used to flirt me all the time. Or he tried to, at least. I obviously never went for it. And I probably should've told you, but you seemed super into him so I figured I would just give him a chance anyway. Then when you two broke up out of the blue, I kinda just had a feeling it was due to a reason like that."

"Lea—" Another pause. "Hold on. When I met up with him to get my stuff back and he had a black eye…" Lea can't resist the smirk and Isa's eyes widen. "You _did_ do that."

"No offence, but not because of you. Although, that did add to it."

"Then why?"

"Because that son of a bitch tried coming on to Roxas and Roxas was still only seventeen at the time and I sure as hell was not gonna tolerate that. There's no reason for a grown ass man to be flirting with a seventeen-year-old. So, trust me, ya dodged a serious bullet with that one."

He chuckles sheepishly, shaking his head. "You're ridiculous." He thinks for a moment. "If you knew this, though, then you should understand that this is a sensitive subject for me."

"I do understand. But this is me we're talking about. And you should know that I would never do that you. I wouldn't do that to _anyone_, but I especially wouldn't do it to you. I would never even imagine hurting you like that. Not in a million years. That's what you should understand."

Isa brings his hands to his shoulders, crossing his arms in the process, almost as if to cover himself. To shield himself. "I suppose…I'm just afraid of losing you."

"Losing me?" Lea wants to laugh at how ridiculous that is but chokes it down. It would only be inappropriate right now. "Isa, I've been in love with you since we were kids." He grins. "I'm afraid you're very much stuck with me, babe." Isa rolls his eyes at the pet-name, but that doesn't hide the colour that rises in his cheeks. "Does this mean we can kiss and makeup now?"

"Only because we're standing under mistletoe."

"I'll take it."

Without wasting another moment, Lea coils an arm around Isa's waist and pulls him in to kiss him hard. Isa makes a surprised noise into the kiss but is soon pulling Lea in even closer. Lea smiles into the kiss. If fighting with Isa means making up like this, he'll suffer through any and every argument. Because this is perfect. Tch. Who is he kidding? It's not the moment that's perfect.

Isa is perfect.

Someone suddenly clears their throat to make their presence known. "Could we maybe wrap this up before we have another bathroom fiasco?"

Lea breaks the kiss with a mild fit of laughter, whereas Isa's face has turned as red as his hair. "I'm surprised you were trusting enough to even leave us alone," Lea says.

Ienzo quirks an eyebrow. "I didn't go far. Now, let's go. We only have ten minutes."

They leave the café and rush to the town's centre. They find the others and are sure to let them know that everything's good now. Perfect. They then put their undivided attention on the lighting ceremony.

The streetlights go on first, white lights wrapped up the poles. From there, the bared trees in the immediate area light up. The gazebo then illuminates with blue lights. And last but certainly not least, the giant pine tree dazzles in reds and greens and golds and blues. The lights also cause the ornaments to sparkle.

Lea overhears the girls make exclamations of its beauty. He smiles to himself and looks beside him at Isa. He's still admiring the tree, but the way the lights are reflecting in his eyes is far more enchanting than any holiday scene. Lea's smile widens as he takes Isa's hand in his own, entwining their fingers. This is when Isa returns both his gaze and the smile. A smile that shines brighter than any light. Lea gently squeezes Isa's hand and Isa rests his head on Lea's shoulder in response. Lea kisses his head before looking back at all the lights.

Yeah. This is what Lea wants for the rest of his life. Him and Isa. Just like this. Because when they're together, even the catastrophes are captivating. So then when it comes to the miracles… Well, those'll be magnificent.


	4. Lucky In Love

The first snowfall of the season. There's something magical about it. Mystical. A green field transforming into a blanket of sparkling white frost is…charming. There's a delicacy to it, as well. It makes the world seem softer. Quieter.

Isa hates it.

"C'mon, you loved playing out in the snow with me when we were kids," Lea says as he looks out their window at the freshly fallen snow. "Since when do you hate it?"

"I've always hated it," Isa tells him from behind his computer screen. "I played with you when we were little because you didn't have any other friends and I felt guilty. But now you do have other friends. So, invite them freeze to death with you."

"_To death_?" He laughs. "Man, you're so overdramatic."

"Says you."

"But Isa…" Lea's tone raises to that whine he uses to try to get what he wants. Isa pauses momentarily. No. The redhead will not get his way. Not this time. "It won't be any fun without ya," Lea goes on.

Isa takes a deep breath, maintaining his composure. "It'll be plenty fun. Besides, you're a grown man. You shouldn't be playing in the snow anyhow. It's childish."

"Tch. Anything fun is childish to you."

He quirks an eyebrow at the other. "Call Roxas, Ventus, and Sora. Won't this be their first snowfall ever? They did grow up on that small island."

Now Lea resorts to pouting. "Fine."

He pulls out his cellphone, and Isa returns his focus to the screen in front of him. He can't waste time fooling around. Even if he did want to. Which he doesn't. Because snow is cold and wet and—

And seeing Lea's face light up at the thought of _playing in it_ makes his heart melt.

Damn it. No. Isa has to finish this stupid project for work. All the better reason for Lea to reach out to the others to spend time with him. Isa can't let himself get distracted. Except when his boyfriend is suddenly half naked in front of him, it's hard not to get sidetracked. Enthralled. Lea soon catches him staring and Isa catches glimpse of his smirk before he turns his head down, cheeks burning.

Lea walks around so he's standing behind Isa. He places his hands on his shoulders and starts massaging gently. "Are you _sure_ you don't wanna _play_?" he asks.

Isa clears his throat. "I'm positive. I have work that needs to get done."

"Everything is about work with you. No wonder you're so tense." He presses down on a particularly tender knot, causing Isa to let out a small moan. Isa doesn't need to look to see the growing smirk on Lea's face. "Maybe I can help ya relax." He leans down and Isa can feel Lea's breath against his breath before he's _nipping_ at the shell of his ear. That's when Isa's heart nearly stops. He does stop breathing, not wanting Lea to pick up on his reaction. "Let's play," Lea goes on, whispering right in his ear. Isa squeezes his eyes shut, trying his damnedest to keep hold of his willpower. He finally shrugs Lea away from him, who only laughs in response. "You're so easy."

Isa unclenches his fists, unable to remember when he had clenched them in the first place. "Why on earth do I—" he starts, turning his head to face his still shirtless boyfriend. Lea leans over and kisses him before he can finish his thought. Isa loses himself instantly and reciprocates the action, sighing contentedly into the kiss. "—put up with you?" he then gets the rest of the words out once Lea pulls away.

"Because you love me," Lea says.

"How unfortunate."

Lea winks at him and disappears into their bedroom. Isa swallows hard before taking a deep breath and returning his attention to his computer. His project. That absolutely _needs_ to be completed by the end of the day. And it's—

Shit. It's already 2:21p.

That alone gives him enough determination to get back to work. When Lea comes out of their room, redressed in clothes much more suitable for playing in snow, his eyes widen a bit.

"Wow, you're really going to town now," he says.

"Don't interrupt me," Isa says back.

He chuckles and answers the knock at the door. He greets whoever has arrived. Isa's too focused on what he's writing to process and recognise the voices.

"Hey, Isa," one of them greets him.

"Get out."

"Uhm…"

"Don't take it personally," Lea says. "He's just in the zone."

There's some shuffling about and a quick _be back soon, babe_ before the front door snaps shut, causing Isa to jump in his seat a bit. Huh. Lea never leaves without giving Isa a kiss goodbye, even when he's in the middle of work. Then again, he also knows Lea won't be going far. He lets out a soft sigh before getting up and moving to the kitchen. He decides to brew a pot of coffee. As it's brewing, he leans against the counter and flips open one of Lea's mindless tabloids. Tch. Ridiculous accusations about ridiculous celebrities. After a moment, he sees something out of the corner of his eye. He glances up and watches out the window.

Ah, yes. Lea certainly won't be going far at all.

Isa pours himself a cup of coffee once it's finished brewing, and then moves over to the window. He watches Lea, Roxas, Ventus, and Sora running around and smiles softly. He must admit, Lea's childish innocence is part of why Isa's so fond of him. Whenever he's being too serious, Lea's always able to lift him up and carry him to the stars. At the same time, though, Isa is able to ground Lea whenever he's too lost in the clouds. It's the perfect balance that makes their relationship—and friendship—work.

When Isa finishes his cup of coffee, he pours himself another and sits back down at his computer. That was a long enough break. Time to get back to work.

As he continues working, he peeks out the window every so often. How the four of them are able to retain such energy, he'll never understand. He's exhausted just watching them for a brief period. He shakes his head and wraps up this part of the project. He sighs as he sits back. He's so close to being done… He looks out the window once again and that's when he notices two extra bodies. Huh. Then there's a knock at the front door.

"Ienzo, how are you?" he greets his surprise guest after he opens the door.

"Sorry for disturbing you," Ienzo says. "Lea invited Riku, Demyx, and myself over, but I'm not very fond of snow. I was hoping I could take cover in here with you."

He chuckles. "Yes, of course. Come in." He grants Ienzo entrance and he heads straight for the comfort of couch. "Would you like coffee?"

"Please."

Isa returns to the kitchen, grabbing another mug and pouring coffee into it. He joins Ienzo on the couch and hands him the cup.

"Thank you." He takes a sip. "I can't believe they're out there frolicking in snow."

"Yes." He glances back out the window. "It's childish, but there is something endearing about it."

"I know exactly what you mean." He follows Isa's gaze out the window. "We made quite the pick of the litter."

"They have their moments, though."

"Oh, of course. Demyx spoils me."

Isa scoffs jokingly. "Must be nice."

Ienzo laughs uneasily. "I know, that sounds—I just mean that he knows how much I hate spending money. Especially on myself. So, he spends money on me for me, if that makes any sense. And he has an excellent memory. Even if I just casually mention liking an item, he'll remember, and I'll have it within the month."

"That's quite considerate of him."

He smiles almost dreamily. "It is…" He shakes his head after a moment, as if realising he had zoned out. "I'm sure Lea is just as thoughtful."

"He's very…affectionate."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"No, not at all. I mean, he's able to read me and always knows exactly how to console me. Or what type of consolation to use." He chuckles under his breath. "For whatever reason, I used to hate it. Now I look forward to it. As soon as he sees me, he can tell if something's wrong. That way I don't have to tell him, and I can talk to him about it when I'm ready. Once I've processed how I'm feeling on my own. Then I know exactly how to explain it to him."

"Hmm. Maybe I could get some tips." He takes a sip of his drink before placing the cup on the table. "Honestly, I still have a hard time opening up about certain things."

"It sure as hell isn't easy."

"Tch. Tell that to Demyx. He's an open book."

Isa considers this. "It depends for Lea, I suppose. Some topics are easier for him to discuss than others." His gaze shifts to the window again. He tilts his head. "Have they built mini forts?"

Ienzo looks and shakes his head. "Incredible."

"It is a little impressive."

"It looks like they've split into teams…" He pauses before chuckling. "They're having a snowball fight."

Isa laughs, as well. "Can you tell who the teams are?"

"Looks like… Roxas and Ventus. Lea and Riku. Demyx and Sora." Another pause. "Huh. I figured Sora and Riku would be a team."

"Are you kidding? They were competitive _before_ they started dating. They're even more so now."

"Fair point."

"Doesn't matter anyhow. If they had invited Xion, she would kick on their asses on her own."

"That's probably why they didn't invite her."

They both laugh as they continue to watch the snowball fight unfold outside the window. Neither of them is sure if there's any sort of score system they're keeping out there, but they also figure their friends don't really care. They're just out there to have a good time. It's all fun and games, until, that is, a snowball hits Lea and he seems to flip over his and Riku's mini fort. Isa's eyes widen and he jumps to his feet, rushing out of the house with Ienzo close behind.

"_Lea_," he calls out. He stumbles through the deep snow to reach the bright red hair still visible. "Lea." He kneels beside his boyfriend who his face down in the snow. "Are you all right?" As soon as he flips him over, Lea bursts into laughter. Isa lets out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding as Roxas, Riku, Ventus, and Sora start laughing as well. "Damn it, Lea. You're an ass."

"I'm sorry, babe, but I'm fine," Lea says between fits of laughter.

"That looked like it hurt," Ienzo speaks up.

"Just cold." He sits up and forms a snowball, tossing it in the direction of the twins. "I'm not sure which one of you threw that, but you're both dead."

Isa huffs as he gets back to his feet. "Glad I came out here for nothing."

"C'mon, you guys should join us," Ventus says.

Roxas pops up and throws his arm around his brother. "Yeah. We could do twins versus the couples." He grins. "We'll kick all your asses."

"You're on," Demyx says.

"You're not on," Isa says. "I'm not participating in this _immaturity_."

Lea rolls his eyes. "C'mon, grow down."

Isa stops in his tracks and turns back on his boyfriend. "Excuse me?"

"Grow down. Y'know, like, instead of grow _up_."

His brow furrows. "You sound like an idiot."

Lea only grins. "An idiot you love."

"Unfortunately." He continues for the house.

"Join us or else."

"I'm sorry, _or else_?" He faces Lea once more to see him armed and ready with— "If you throw that snowball at me, I swear—"

"You swear what? What're ya gonna do?"

"You wouldn't."

There's that devilish grin again. "What's stopping me?"

"Don't. You. Dare."

"Will you join our game?"

"No, I am not—"

Lea throws the snowball and it's a direct hit to Isa's face.

The air goes still. Silent. Not the same kind of peaceful silence that comes with the first snowfall, though. This silence is tense. Unnerving. The sound of icicles dripping echoes through the atmosphere.

Isa wipes the remains of the melted snow from his face and flicks his hands. He opens his eyes and levels his gaze at Lea. "You are _done for_."

Lea bursts into laughter as Isa practically charges at him. He tackles him to the ground, the snow breaking their fall. Lea doesn't even try to stop him. Just laughs harder. There's no real fighting happening, though. No hitting. They would never hit each other for any reason. That would be crossing a line. So, Isa really ends up just half wrestling Lea in the snow. Once he tires himself out, Lea rolls them over and pins Isa down.

"And I'm the childish one," Lea says, voice low enough for only Isa to hear.

In that instance, all Isa's feelings from Lea's earlier teasing come rushing back. He grabs Lea by the nape of his neck and pulls him down for a searing kiss. Lea gladly returns his vigor full force. Isa almost forgets where they are until he and Lea are both hit in the face, causing Lea to practically roll off him.

"Get a room, you freaks," Demyx calls out, laughing.

Isa faces burns up at this. Lea makes some sort of retort, but he doesn't process it. Then Lea's holding his hand out to help him back to his feet. Isa doesn't even recall Lea moving to get up… He shakes his head and takes the hand. His boyfriend's hand. A hand he very much wants to be touching him.

"Get rid of them," he says in Lea's ear before heading inside.

He makes his way for the bedroom to change out of his wet clothes. He then ties his hair up in a loose bun before sitting down at his computer. He had been so close to finishing, but now—

Lea comes up behind him and reaches over his shoulder to close the laptop. "I got rid of them."

Isa is on Lea in a second. Everything that happens next happens in a hot flash. Soon after, Isa finds himself standing back at the window, admiring the remains of the stupid forts. It isn't long before Lea's wrapping his arms around his waist from behind and resting his chin on Isa's shoulder. He's still shirtless, but _so warm_.

"Here's my Moonlight," he says.

Isa smiles a small smile. "My Sunlight."

Lea kisses his cheek. "I'm sorry about decking you in the face with a snowball, but I am not sorry for the chain reaction."

He chuckles softly. "No worries."

Another kiss to his cheek. Then to his jaw. His neck. His collarbone. Isa tilts his head and hums happily, relishing in the feel of Lea's lips on his skin. Relishing in his comforting warmth.

"What are you thinking about?" Lea soon asks.

Isa takes a moment before answering. "How lucky I am to have you."

"Oh, yeah? I thought it was _unfortunate_."

He rolls his eyes. "Must you throw my words back in my face like that?"

He smiles against his skin. "How lucky are you?"

At this, he turns in Lea's arms to face him properly, wrapping his own arms around Lea's neck. He pulls him in for a deep, languid kiss. They have all the time in the world, after all. Isa knows he needs to appreciate that time more. Worry less about work and stupid projects. Sure, they're important, but nothing—_absolutely nothing_—is as important as his unfortunate relationship with his best friend. He doesn't know what he would ever do without Lea. Hell, he'd be lost without him. Lost in the dark. Lost in the cold. Lost in the silence.

When the kiss breaks, Lea presses his forehead to Isa's. "I'd say I'm the lucky one."

Isa shakes his head. "You put up with a lot from me that I'm sure no one else would put up with." He meets his gaze. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

Lea smiles, smoothing Isa's hair back before taking his face in his hands. "There's no one else I'd rather put up with."

"Oh, how fortunate."

His smile widens before he returns his lips to Isa's. Isa runs his hands up Lea's chest and to his shoulders and starts pushing him back. He guides them to the couch, Lea sitting on the armrest as soon as the back of his knees hit it. Isa only continues pushing him back, crawling over him. Lea lets out a questioning noise.

"I'm not done with you yet," Isa tells him.

"Well, if that doesn't make me lucky…" he says.

He gives him playful eyeroll. "Shut up."

Yeah, they're lucky all right. Lucky to have met all those years ago. Lucky to have become best friends. Lucky to have fallen so madly in love. Because even in the coldest, darkest times, they still have each other. Never abandoned. Never forgotten. Companionship in the silence.

As far as Isa's concerned, it doesn't get more fortunate than that.


	5. The Day After

Isa opens his eyes and remains still. He takes a few deep breaths before turning his head to find a clock. He does. 5:36a. Ugh. He rolls onto his back again and stares at the ceiling for a moment, gathering his thoughts of the previous night. When he finally sits up, his head falls right into his hands. It's pounding, but he represses a groan. He runs his fingers through his hair and observes the unknown bedroom. There's a faint light of the morning sun coming in through the window, creating an almost blue-grey atmosphere. There's something soothing about it, considering the situation. Huh. That's when he glances at the body still fast asleep beside him. The stranger with bright red hair. He's tempted to reach out and brush the loose strands of hair out of his face. His…_serene_ face. Hmm. Isa watches him. The steady rise and fall of his bared chest. He examines the sharpness of his features. Yet, his skin looks so soft. Warm. His lips look—

Shit. He really has to get out of here.

He slips out of the bed, almost jumping back in when his feet touch the cold hardwood floor. He takes a deep breath and forces himself up. He scours the floor for his discarded clothing, partially impressed with where some of the articles were scattered. Once he's recollected his belongings, he carefully slips—jumps—into his pants. He hears movement behind him and freezes before glancing over his shoulder. The stranger has shifted his position, but still seems to be sleeping. He releases the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding and exits the bedroom.

He locates his misplaced cellphone and checks it for messages. Nothing. Not even any clues as to just _how_ he ended up in this scenario. Oh well. He'll figure it out later. For now, he needs to get out and get home. So, he carefully—quietly—continues towards the front door, holding his shoes for now and walking on his tiptoes.

"Awe," a voice sounds off, "and I thought we had such a good time last night." Isa stops dead in his tracks. He sighs and turns to face his one-night stand. The redhead is leaning against the doorway to the bedroom, arms folded across his chest and smirking. "Don't tell me that's a one-sided feeling."

Isa is at a complete loss for words. This isn't the norm for him. He doesn't know how to deal with this. Hell, he doesn't _want_ to deal with this. He just wants to leave and get home to where he can be comfortable. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"At least stay for a cup of coffee."

He only nods in response. The stranger's smile widens a bit, and he makes his way for the kitchen. He's in nothing but his boxers and Isa can't help but stare. He swallows hard. He shouldn't be so attracted to a total stranger. Hell, he doesn't even remember the guy's name. He's not even sure they exchanged names. All he knows is that he's definitely good looking. There's no denying that.

After another minute or two, Isa moves away from the door. He sets his belongings down and joins the stranger in the kitchen. This is such a bad idea. And he knows it. The alarms in his head have been going off since the second he woke up. Huh. Maybe that's what's causing the pounding… No. That's just the hangover.

"How do ya like your coffee?" the redhead asks.

"Black is fine," Isa says him.

He fills a mug and hands it so Isa. He is grateful for coffee. Especially since it's only just past six o'clock in the morning. And it's cold. Shit is it cold. The stranger is radiating heat, though, and it's taking every ounce of Isa's being not to wrap himself in it. His cheeks flush suddenly as he has a subtle flashback of the previous night. Oh, he's already been wrapped up in that heat.

"I hate to be that guy," the redhead breaks the silence, "but I can't for the life of me recall your name."

"Does it really matter? I mean, it's not important for you to know it."

"That's…fair. I guess." He pauses. "Well, my name is Lea." He looks past Isa and tilts his head. "Is it me or does it still seem pretty dark out?" He gets to his feet and heads over to a sliding door Isa can only assume leads out to a balcony. He tries not to pay too much attention. But when Lea pulls the shades aside and the apartment is flooded with light, there's nothing warming about it. "Uh, sorry, man, but I don't think you're gonna be going anywhere."

Isa's brow furrows. He gets up to join Lea by the balcony window. Well, shit. No wonder the light doesn't feel warm. A thick blanket of snow has covered the city, putting it to sleep.

Just then, both their phones buzz. Lea gets to his first and chuckles. "Snow emergency," he says. "All roads are shut down until further notice and they recommend staying in." He sets his phone down. "I'd say you're welcome to take shelter here, but I don't think ya have much of a choice. Looks like we're snowed in."

Of course. This is just Isa's luck. He pinches the bridge of his nose and it isn't long before there's a hand on his shoulder. He takes a deep breath before opening his eyes and lifting his head to look over at Lea.

"I'm gonna hop in the shower," Lea tells him. "Please, help yourself to more coffee." He heads for the bedroom, stopping in the doorway. "Unless, that is," he smirks, "you would like to join me."

_Yes_. The word reverberates within every nerve in Isa's body. He can't, though. "Not my thing," he finally manages to say.

He simply nods his head. "Feel free to let yourself in if ya change your mind." He winks at him and disappears into the bedroom.

Damn it. What the hell is it about this guy that has Isa so wound up? In both a good and a bad way. It sure as hell isn't helping the pounding in his head.

He freshens his cup of coffee and returns to the window. He watches the snow as it falls to the ground. There's at least already two feet. And that's just judging by the balcony. He lets out a heavy sigh. This isn't ideal. He should be home by now. Drinking coffee out of his own mug. Showering in his own bathroom. Hmm. A shower does sound nice right about now. Hot water sounds nice. He looks towards the open bedroom door. _Feel free to let yourself in if you change your mind_. The words echo in his mind. No. He won't join him because he knows better than that. He's not an expert at one-night stands, but he does know he's not supposed to sleep with his hookup a second time. Especially the following morning. Unless…

Maybe it wouldn't matter. Maybe there's something different about this case. Maybe—Damn it. _No_. He has to get these thoughts out of his head. Out of his system. Nothing good could come from this. And he just has to keep reminding himself of that. Over and over…and over…and over…

When Lea finally returns from his shower, he has nothing on except for a towel wrapped around his waist. Isa's heart practically stops as his breath catches in his throat. Lea has another towel that he's using to dry his wildly untamed hair. Isa follows his trail into the kitchen. It's a damn better view than the snow.

"Y'know, if you keep staring like that," Lea starts, "I'm gonna get the wrong impression." He looks over his shoulder and Isa and grins. "I don't mind, but something tells me that ya don't wanna give me the wrong idea."

Isa holds back a blush as he tears his gaze away. "Tch. You're quite full of yourself, aren't you?"

"No need to be shy about it." Lea's grin turns to a smirk. "I like you, too."

"You barely know me."

"Let's change that, then."

"Excuse me?"

He drapes the towel he used for his hair over the back of one of the kitchen chairs. "What? I mean, we're gonna be stuck together for an undisclosed amount of time." He shrugs his shoulders. "Might as well get to know each other."

Yeah. This definitely isn't how a one-night stand is supposed to go. And the worst part is that Isa's more than intrigued by this man. Tch. Of all the mornings for there to be a snow emergency. "I think I'll pass, thanks," he says.

"Tch." He half chuckles-half scoffs. "Whatever." He picks the towel up again and brings it to his room. "Seriously, though," he starts when he comes back out, "you can shower if you want. I promise not to jump you while you're in there."

He considers this. He might have to take Lea up on this offer. After all, he has no idea just how their…_exploits_ ended the night before. And feeling clean and fresh might help his head, if only a little. Better than nothing.

He only nods his head in response. Lea, in return, gestures for him to follow. They walk through the bedroom as Lea leads Isa to the bathroom. Isa glances at the bed, the sheets still half strewn to the floor. He swallows hard as he's hit with another flashback of being entangled in those very sheets. Of Lea's fingers being entangled in his hair.

Next thing he knows, he loses track of the floor. There's a hand—Lea's hand—grabbing at his wrist and yanking as his free arm wraps around Isa's waist. He pulls Isa into him to keep him from falling. And despite not falling, the air is still knocked out of Isa's lungs. They're so close… He can see the freckles in Lea's green eyes. Dazzlingly green. Like an enchanted forest; he could get lost in them.

Lea releases Isa's wrist and brings his hand up to their faces. He just barely touches the bridge of Isa's nose. "How did you get—?"

That's when Isa finally pushes him away. "That is none of your business nor is it a story I would share with a stranger."

He raises his hands, as if surrendering. "Okay. I respect that. And I wasn't gonna press you for the story anyhow." He lowers his hands. "If it's any consolation, though, I find it charming."

With that, Lea gets the water in the shower going and exits the bathroom, locking and closing the door behind him. As soon as he's gone, Isa traces the scar across the bridge of his nose. _Charming_. Tch. He takes a deep breath and steps into the shower. The hot water feels incredible against his skin. His closes his eyes and savours in it. Except closing his eyes has welcomed more flashbacks. Skin on skin contact. Soft, warm skin…

Isa starts coughing violently when he accidentally inhales some of the water. It doesn't take long before Lea is knocking at the door.

"Are you all right?" he asks.

"I—I'm—fine," Isa manages to get out between fits of coughing. He takes a couple deep breaths. "Don't worry."

That's the end of it. He hears fading footsteps and finishes the shower with his eyes open wide. When he steps out, he dries himself off and looks at his discarded clothing. The last thing he wants to do is put those same clothes back on, but he's not sure what other choice he has. He heaves a heavy sigh, grabbing them and exiting the bathroom. As he steps out, he notices folded clothes sitting on the now-made bed. He walks over to find a note:

_For you to borrow so you have fresh clothes to wear_.

Isa can't help but smile at the redhead's generosity. His consideration. He sets his own clothes down and puts on the clean bottoms and top. They fit perfectly. Plus, they're very comfortable. And they smell like—

He stops, shaking his head. That's not what he should be thinking about. Hmm. He picks his pants back up and rummages the pockets for an elastic. Once he tracks it down, he returns to the kitchen, braiding his wet hair as he goes.

Lea looks over his shoulder at the sound of the floor creaking. He grins. "Damn. That's a good look on ya."

Isa represses a blush, looking past Lea to see what he's doing. And…he's making eggs and pancakes. "Do you treat all your one-night stands like this?" he asks, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"What makes you think I do this often?"

He quirks an eyebrow. "Do you?"

There's a pause. "No. Not typically my style." He sets the spatula down and leans against the counter as he faces Isa. "But I saw you last night and I just knew I couldn't let ya go." Another _brilliant_ smile. "Not without me, at least."

He covers this rising blush with a roll of his eyes. "Does that line actually work?"

"It ain't a line."

He knows he shouldn't believe Lea, but _damn it_, he wants to. Almost as much as he wants to get up and—He settles for watching him. He never put a shirt back on after his shower, so he watches the muscles in his back. Follows his spine down past his narrow waist and to his hips where his sweatpants are loosely hanging from. Hmm. And as he looks a little more closely at his back, he swears he can see the faint marks of…scratches.

"How often do you do this?" Lea speaks up.

"Do what?"

"Uh…one-night stands."

"Oh. Uhm. N-never. This is very unlike me."

When he turns around, he's holding a plate of food and grinning again. "We must be on the same page, then." He sets the plate down before Isa. "You must've wanted me just as badly."

He looks Lea up and down. _I did. I still do_. He forces a scoff. "Hardly."

"Don't deny it. C'mon, I can feel you staring at me."

"That doesn't mean anything."

Lea shakes his head. "Whatever." He makes a plate of food for himself before checking his phone. "The winter storm warning is in effect until ten o'clock tonight, but there's a good chance it could be extended."

Isa lets out a soft sigh. "And what does that mean?"

"It means ya better get comfortable and stop being such a prick."

He glares at him. "If you would stop flirting—"

"I'm barely flirting. Just trying to be nice, y'know? Hospitable. Hell, just because you're technically a stranger, doesn't mean I have to treat ya like one."

"Technically? I am a stranger to you."

"Well, I'd say we're more like acquaintances after last night."

Isa can only imagine how bright red his cheeks turned at this. He jumps to his feet. "Last night was a mistake and never should have happened. And once this stupid storm is over and the snow emergency has lifted, it won't even matter anymore. We'll go our separate ways and never see each other again and that'll be the end of it."

Silence. Lea's visibly taken aback by this little outburst. Isa lets out a shaky breath before slumping back into the chair, his head falling into his hands. What the fuck is wrong with him? Why does he have to be like this?

"No offence, man, but you carry _a lot_ of baggage, huh?" Lea speaks up. Isa doesn't bother humouring him with any sort of response. "You can talk to me about it if ya wanna. All my friends say I'm a great listener. I mean, they come to me for everything."

He lifts his head. "_No offence_, but why?"

"Well, I actually studied psychology in college, so…" He shrugs his shoulders.

"So…you would like to analyse me?"

"That is not—"

"I'm not interested in talking."

"Fine. At least finish eating."

It's a fair enough request. Isa finishes the plate of food and Lea takes the plate and places it in the sink along with his own empty one.

8:07a.

At this rate, it's gonna be a long fucking day.

"Wanna watch or a movie or something?" Lea breaks the silence. "I'll let you choose. Or we could play a game. I have some multiplayer options."

"You can play a game or watch a movie or…whatever. I'll pass."

"What are you gonna do, then?"

"Why do you care?"

"I wanna make sure you're entertained."

Isa represses a small smile. "Don't worry about me."

Lea doesn't have a witty comeback to this. Just moves from the kitchen and settles on his couch. Isa watches him for a brief moment before heading over to where he had dropped off his things earlier. He rummages through the bag he brings with him everywhere—even to bars, despite people thinking it's odd—and pulls a book from it. This is all he ever really needs. A good book. He searches the apartment for a place that looks comfortable, deciding on a spot by the balcony window. He curls up on the chair—an _exceptional_ choice of a spot—and opens the book to where he'd last left off.

Lea seems to have chosen a video game to play. Every so often, Isa peels his eyes away from the words on the page to watch the redhead. Isa's determined it must be some sort of fighting game based on how into Lea gets at moments. Plus, the sound of gunfire gives it away, as well. Isa takes a deep breath and reads a few more pages before looking up again. There's a passion in Lea's eyes. A fiery resolve. Isa's mesmerised by it. There's no doubt this man is enthusiastic about everything important he does with his life. Hmm… He swallows hard and returns his attention to the book in his hands. His shaking hands. What's gotten into him?

Unable to focus on the story any longer, he flips it shut and looks out the window. Snow is still falling. There's easily another five inches out there from the last time they looked. It sure as hell is coming down fast. Isa fears the snow emergency will be extended past ten o'clock and he'll be forced to spend another night in this apartment. Ugh. All he wants is to be in the solace of his own home. Warm and cozy and—

Wrapped in a blanket. Huh. Lea's wrapping a blanket around him. Isa gratefully takes it by the edges and pulls it tighter around him.

"Thought ya might be cold," Lea says. "This is definitely the comfiest spot in the place, but it's also the chilliest. Especially this time of year."

Man, Isa's starting to feel like a real jackass. "Th-thank you."

"No problem." He returns to the couch. "I cranked the heat, too, just in case we happen to lose power."

"That would not be ideal."

"Tch. No kidding." He hits the buttons on his controller with an almost abnormal amount of force. "_Finally_." He tosses the controller onto the couch and leans back. "Hell, I've been stuck on this level for _ages_. It's about damn time I'm able to get past it." Isa chuckles under his breath. "By the way," Lea goes on, "I love that book."

This catches Isa off guard. "Hmm?"

"The Alchemist. I love that book."

He's a bit taken aback at the statement. "You've read it?"

"Yeah, it's one of my favourites. Classic telling of the hero's journey, but in a much more subtle way." He smiles. "It's a brilliant story."

"Yes, it truly is." He pauses. "It's one of my personal favourites, as well."

"Well, you've got good taste. But you did come home with me last night, so that's already a given."

Isa rests his elbow on the arm of the chair and rests his chin on his hand. "I must admit, I do admire your confidence."

Another grin. "It grows on ya." He then pats the spot next to him on the couch. "C'mere and stop being such a loner."

He shouldn't. He should stay right where he is and continue reading his book. He should stay as far away as he possibly can. His feet start moving before his brain can process the action to stop it, though, and he's sitting beside Lea in no time.

"Play a game with me," Lea says.

"I'm really no good at games."

"I'll teach ya." He gets up to grab a second controller. "Besides, I'm sure you're a quick learner." He hands the controller to Isa. "And you'll have fun."

"I was having fun reading my book."

"Clearly not since you kept looking at me."

He purses his lips, grabbing the controller in defeat. Lea grins and sits back down next to him. He chooses one of the multiplayer games and breaks down the rules to Isa. He listens intently, wanting to be successful in his attempts at playing the game. The logistics seem simple enough, yet Isa has a feeling it'll be a bit more complicated than Lea's toned-down explanation.

They play a few rounds, Lea dominating Isa each time. The controls and combinations are much more difficult to process than Isa had anticipated, considering how quickly he needs to think of them. Lea isn't discouraging, though. Quite the opposite, in fact. He's not making it easy for Isa to beat him, but he's also not making it easy for him to give up and quit. He keeps telling him to try again. Try again. _C'mon, you're improving already. Try again_. So, Isa keeps trying. And each round, he gets closer winning. Until, finally…he _does_ win. Isa can't help but jump up and cheer for himself in excitement. Better yet, Lea jumps up and cheers for him, too.

"See? Told ya you could do it," Lea says. "That was awesome, man. You seriously kicked my ass that time around."

Isa can't help but smile. "That was…exhilarating."

He smiles back. "Good. I'm glad. It's good to let loose every now and then." He falls back onto the couch with a heavy sigh. He scratches the back of his head. "Man, waking up at six o'clock is starting to hit me." He checks his phone. "And it's barely eleven. The day's barely halfway through."

"And it looks like the snow is coming down heavier," Isa says, looking out the window again.

"No update on the storm warning as of right now." He stretches, yawning. Then he tilts his head. "Do you think you're on your hero's journey? That whichever path it is you're taking is the right one?"

Isa considers this as he sits back down on the couch. "I suppose I've never really thought about it."

"Nah, I don't believe that."

"And why not?"

"Because you're the kind of person who _does_ think about this sort of thing. A lot. It's just who you are. It's been engrained in your system. You always think ahead. You always think of every outcome and every consequence. You don't act without a strategy."

"You say that as if it's a terrible thing. It's good to be prepared."

"It's also good to be spontaneous. It's even good to fail, believe it or not. You playing this game is a good example of that."

"Hmm." He glances at the controllers resting on the coffee table. "I see your point."

"It's good to go after what ya want, too. But…you never do that, do ya?"

"Excuse me?"

"Sorry." Lea shrugs his shoulders. "Ya just seem like that type, y'know? Your parents made a plan for ya and you made sure to stick to that plan."

Isa clenches his jaw. "I told you not to analyse me."

"For fuck's sake…" He laughs. "I'm not analysing ya, it's just a simple observation."

"Semantics."

"Ah. So, I hit a sore spot, huh? Let me guess…" He taps a pensive finger to his chin. "Not a great relationship with your parents?"

He shakes his head. "We're not talking about this." He returns to his feet and to the chair across the room.

"C'mon, don't be like that. Come back. I'll let you kick my ass."

Tch. If Lea thinks he can try and act _cute_ after making a comment like that, then he's got another thing coming to him. Isa sneers. "Go fuck yourself."

His eyes widen a bit. "Oh, shit. Real touchy subject, huh?"

He rolls his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. This action turns into him tracing along the scar. He's never spoken to anyone about it before. Not a single soul. It might be nice to finally open up about it. To come clean. Hmm… There's then a hand on his shoulder and he jolts at the sudden contact. He looks over at Lea, who has a very reassuring look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he says. "I didn't mean to upset you. Honest."

Isa nods his head once in response. Lea gestures to the couch and Isa follows him back to it. They play a few more rounds of the game. Lea wins most of them, but Isa still manages to get ahead on a couple of the matches. Then he calls it quits, his thumbs growing sore. Lea switches back to a single player without any complaints. Rather than Isa returning to his book, though, he sits and watches Lea play. He reacts to him and the game. He allows himself to enjoy it. Because he wants to. And Lea may not have been too far off with this claim of Isa not letting himself give into his desires.

Lea sets down the controller and stretches out again. He then starts asking Isa mindless questions. Nothing personal, but still intriguing. Questions that make Isa consider his answers. Better yet, the atmosphere is relaxed. Easygoing. Isa isn't afraid of being judged or ridiculed. Of giving a wrong answer because there are none. Hell, Isa can't remember the last time he felt so…free. It's like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. And with the more questions asked, the closer Isa and Lea get. Sinking into the couch…

Isa awakes with a start. He doesn't even recall falling asleep. Yet, apparently, he and Lea both had. Together. On the couch. He shifts ever so slightly to get a look at the redhead, still fast asleep. Just like this morning. Except that they're in much closer proximity now. Close enough for Isa to feel Lea's warm breath on his skin. To feel _Lea_ against what little is bare of his skin. Hmm. He wants to feel more. He wants—

Lea's eyes flutter open, revealing those marvelous green orbs, and he smiles. "Now _that's_ a sight to wake up to," he says. Isa's cheeks flush hot and Lea chuckles. The sound is low in the back of his throat. "Good morning to you, too."

He shifts, sliding an arm beneath Isa and pressing their bodies even closer together. The breath catches in Isa's throat. Then Lea's face is going in and out of focus. His lips ghost over Isa's and that's when Isa gets a hand between them to push him away as much as he can.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Just let it happen," he tells him. Isa pushes again before sitting up. This alarms Lea more, snapping him out of whatever trance he'd been in. "And you've created another example for yourself. This time of not going after what ya want."

Isa scoffs. "I take what I said about admiring your confidence. You're just arrogant. And it doesn't look good on you." He removes himself from the couch. "You probably think everyone who meets you wants you."

"I don't." He sits up. "But I do know that this," he gestures between the two of them, "is a mutual."

"You're so goddamn full of yourself."

"Why are you so adamant on denying this?"

"Because we are strangers."

"Well, yeah, that's how most relationships start. Two strangers meet and hit it off and get to know each other until they fall in love."

"Nowhere in that timeline is there a drunken one-night stand."

"All right. So, it's a little unconventional." He shrugs his shoulders. "Oh well. Who cares? It'll make for a good story someday. A good memory."

"You're ridiculous."

With that, he makes his way for the bathroom. He locks the door behind him and leans on the counter, gripping the edge. After taking a few deep breaths, he turns the faucet on. He splashes cold water on his face before running a hand through this hair. He plays with the end of his braid for a bit, just watching his reflection in the mirror. _It'll make for a good story someday_. Tch. A dumb story. This is all so stupid. And unwanted. Yeah. Of course Isa doesn't actually want this. The only thing he wants is to go his separate way. He wants it to stop snowing so he can go home.

He lets out a heavy sigh and exits the bathroom. Rather than return to the living room where Lea is inevitably waiting, though, he stays in the bedroom. He walks around and examines the little knickknacks Lea has placed everywhere. A lot of references to the sun and the number eight. Hmm… The he comes across a photo. Lea is in it, but he must be at least five or six years younger. And he's with three young woman. A black-haired girl, a blonde, and a girl with red hair. Nowhere bright as Lea's, but red, nonetheless.

"Are you snooping?" Lea announces his presence.

Isa tils his head. "Who are they?"

"Oh. So, you're allowed to ask questions about personal details of my life, but I can't even know your name?" He places his hands on his hips, shaking his head. "Talk about double standards." He peaks around Isa to figure out what he's referring to. "Naminé, Xion, and Kairi. We grew up in foster care together, so they're my little sisters in every way except biological." He steps up to him and takes the frame in hand. "The last time I saw them in person was when this photo was taken. None of them live close by anymore, but we still talk as often as we can." He sighs. "I miss them like hell. They've gotten me through a lot of tough times. I probably wouldn't even be here still if it hadn't been for them." There's a slight crack in his voice that makes Isa want to reach out to him. He doesn't. Lea clears his throat. "They saved my life. In more ways than one." He sets the frame back down. "What about you? Any siblings?"

"Uh…" _Damn it_. How is it so easy for Lea to be so open? Isa wants it to be that easy. Tch. Maybe if he would stop thinking so much… Huh. That's it. He needs to just talk without thinking. "N-no. No. It was just me and my father growing up." He stops and waits for a response from Lea. He looks as if he wants to ask what happened, but he keeps his mouth shut. "My mother died giving birth to me," he goes on, "and my father always resented me for it. Never let it go. Always told me it should've been me over her. That I didn't deserve my life. So, I spent my life trying to be the perfect son, but nothing was ever good enough for him."

"Sounds rough," Lea says.

He chuckles half-heartedly. "That's not even the worst of it." He takes a deep breath. Hell, he can't believe he's about to open up about this. "When I was thirteen, I came home from school with my first bad grade. It ended up not being as big of a deal as I thought it would be. My father gave me a stern talking to, which I'm pretty sure he was drunk for, and that was the end of it." _Keep going_. "About a week or so later, I invited a friend over to hang out. That wasn't a big deal, either. Until, that is, my father caught me kissing him." Lea's eyes widen a bit at this and there's a twitch of a smile at the corner of his lips. Isa swallows hard. "His reaction to that was," he brings a shaky hand to his nose, "painful."

Now Lea's brows furrows. "Hold up… Your _father_ gave you that scar?" His face contorts into expressions of anger and bewilderment. Mostly anger. "I can't believe—Man, that's seriously fucked up. How did he get away with that?"

"He forced me tell the police that I had done it to myself. You know how it is… Teenagers and their crazy hormones."

"Tch. I hate your father." Isa actually smiles at this. He then moves to sit on the bed. Lea follows him but keeps a safe distance between them. "How come once you were older you never came out with the truth about the incident?"

"Honestly, it just didn't seem worth it by then." Isa folds his hands on his lap and lets out a deprecating little chuckle. "The only thing I ever did that my father was actually proud of was getting into this really prestigious university."

Lea nods. "Good for you."

"Yeah. Hell, he was so proud that he offered to pay in-full for my tuition that first year. It was incredible. The fact that he paid, I mean. Because I wanted nothing to do with that university. So, I purposely flunked out that first year. Wasted all his money. Took off and haven't spoken to him since."

"Shit. Talk about a power move."

"It was dumb, but…still makes me feel good."

"It should. He got exactly what he deserved." He pauses. "If it's any consolation, when I was eight, my parents decided that they just didn't want me anymore and dropped me off at the foster home."

"Wait… What?"

"Yup. They said that I was far too much of a hassle and uncontrollable and not worth the time or energy."

"Damn. I wish my father would've done that with me." His eyes widen at the realisation of what he's said, and he covers his mouth. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have—"

Lea's laughing. "It's totally fine."

"No. That was awful."

"It wasn't. Don't worry." He laughs a bit more and calms himself down. "Hey, we were asleep for a while. You hungry again?" Isa simply nods in response. Lea reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder, causing Isa to look up at him. Lea smiles warmly at him before cupping Isa's cheek, his thumb tracing the edge of his scar. "For the record, despite the tragic backstory, I do find it charming." He tilts his head. "You wear it well." His gaze is set on Isa's nose, but it soon meets Isa's gaze. There's a brief moment when time stands still, and Isa wants to get lost in that moment. But then Lea is the one retreating. "Sorry," he says as he pulls away and gets to his feet. "I'll go start making something."

Isa watches Lea exit the bedroom. Then he watches the doorway, waiting for him to come back. When he doesn't, he places his hand on the spot where Lea had just been sitting. It's still warm. Not warm enough, though. _So, it's a little unconventional_. Hmm. Nothing wrong with unconventional. Isa could use some quirkiness in his life. He smiles and gets up, walking to the doorway and leaning against the frame. Lea already has one pot on the stove and has himself busied with cutting something up. He takes a deep breath and joins him in the kitchen.

"Anything I can help with?" he asks.

Lea pauses. "Can you dice."

He chuckles softly. "Yes."

He hands him the knife. "Then have at it."

They each do their own thing to prepare the meal, Lea instructing Isa along the way. At one point, there's a strong gust of wind and the lights in the apartment dim. They both stop in their tracks, waiting. The lights flicker a bit more before brightening up again and staying on. They wait another few seconds before continuing with their projects. By the end, they're sitting at the table eating alfredo with a homemade sauce.

"Do you pride yourself in cooking, as well?" Isa speaks up.

Lea laughs. "Nah, I can make a few basic dishes. Nothing fancy. Only reason I know this recipe is because of Xion. And I had to _beg_ her for it."

Just then, both of their phones buzz. This time, Isa gets to his first. "Well, it's official," he says. "The weather alert has been extended until ten o'clock tomorrow morning." He sets his phone down and returns to the table. "Looks like I'm stuck here for another night."

"Poor you," Lea says.

"I don't mind."

He quirks an eyebrow. "No?"

"Not at all." He looks over his shoulder at the empty couch. "How about a movie now?" He returns his gaze to Lea. "So long as I still get to choose, of course."

Lea smiles. "Sounds good."

They throw their dishes into the sink and curl up on the couch. They start at a comfortable distance from each other, but after Isa picks a movie and Lea leans back once it's started, Isa offers him half the blanket. He accepts and this forces them closer together. Somehow, still not close enough.

Only about fifteen or twenty minutes into the movie, Isa finds himself staring at Lea yet again. He's not trying to be discreet anymore.

"Y'know, you're the one who wanted to watch the movie," Lea speaks up, keeping his focus forward, "but you've been watching me instead."

He swallows hard. "Isa."

He does a doubletake before moving his gaze on Isa. "Huh?"

"M-my name."

The corners of his lips twitch up into a smile. Isa leans in about halfway before pressing forward until their lips collide. When he breaks the kiss, they're both breathing hard even from just those few short seconds.

"Isa," Lea says, breathless.

Hearing him finally say his name fuels something within Isa. It sends sparks throughout his nervous system. He brings his hand to the nape of Lea's neck, closing the distance between them with another kiss. Rougher, this time. Lea doesn't seem to mind. He smiles against Isa's lips, leaning back and pulling Isa on top of him. Isa uses one hand to support himself, the other exploring Lea's bare chest. He arches into every touch, soft whines spilling from his lips, Isa capturing them with his own. He still wants more.

Isa doesn't know when or how they made it to Lea's bed, but they did. This time, he's on his back and Lea's hands are roaming his now bare chest. Huh. When did his shirt come off? He can't keep track anymore. Hell, he can't even keep track of which limbs belong to him and which belong to Lea. Not that it matters. This is what he wants. To be entangled in the redhead. Captivated.

It feels good to finally let go and give in. That weightless feeling again. Sinking into the mattress…

When Isa awakens next, he takes a deep breath and smiles. He opens his eyes and rolls onto his side to find the spot beside him empty. He sits up and that's when he smells freshly brewed coffee. He slides out of the bed, taking the sheet with him to wrap himself in. He makes his way for the kitchen. Or, better yet, for the redhead in the kitchen. He comes up behind Lea, wrapping his arms and the sheet around him.

Lea chuckles. "I'd tell ya good morning, but it's almost eleven o'clock."

Isa kisses at his neck. "That's okay."

Lea sighs contentedly, leaning back into Isa's hold. Then he turns in Isa's arms to face and kiss him properly. Isa holds him even tighter, taking a fistful of red locks and causing Lea to moan into his mouth. He smirks into the kiss before breaking it by tugging at Lea's hair to pull him away.

"You enjoy teasing, huh?" Lea speaks up after catching his breath.

Another smirk. "Perhaps."

Just then, Isa's phone goes off. He steps away from Lea—the warmth—to grab it. It's an actual phone call. He ignores it.

"Only took all day for one of my friends to finally reach out to me," Isa says.

"You need better friends."

Isa finishes typing the text out and sends it. He then returns to Lea and the warmth of the sheet. "They're well-meaning. They know I enjoy my privacy, so it's not often they have a need to check on me."

Lea smiles fondly. "You're so weird." He brushes a few hairs out of Isa's face and behind his ear. "Weird is good."

Isa closes his eyes at the touch but can't bring himself to smile back. That phone call just suddenly brought him back to reality. They've spent the last day in their own little world, but what happens once the snow emergency lifts? Once the roads open? Once Isa is no longer confined to Lea's apartment?

Once the snow melts…

"Where do we go from here?" he asks.

Lea tilts his head. "Well, as soon as we're allowed the go outside again, I'm taking ya on a real date."

He can't help but blush at this. "And what's a_ real date_ to you?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "Dinner and a movie. Or whatever it is you enjoy. Dinner and a walk through the park. Or maybe a museum or a planetarium."

"Hmm." He smiles softly. "I like those last two options."

"Yeah, I thought ya might."

"You think you know me so well already, don't you?"

There's a serious look in Lea's eyes. "I think I wanna get to know you as well as I can." He smiles. Genuine. Brilliant.

Isa swallows hard. He's scared shitless, but he's never been so excited. "I-I think I want that, too."

With that, the two of them each pour a cup of coffee for themselves before curling up together on the armchair by the balcony window, the sheet wrapped around them both. They watch the snow as it gently drifts to the ground. It's an enjoyable silence. A snug warmth. Isa looks at the redhead in his arms who's still staring out the window. He looks until Lea returns his gaze. Wow. It's incredible to Isa how a single look—such a _simple_ look—can get his heart racing.

Next thing he knows, they're kissing again. There's an unbridled passion in Lea that Isa already can't get enough of. Yeah, this is unconventional, all right, but it's also all Isa has ever dreamed of. Someone who understands him with just a look. Someone who can look at him and know exactly what he's thinking. Someone he doesn't have to explain himself to because they just _get it_.

Someone like Lea.

Sure, he's only known him for a day, but it already feels so right. More than right. And Isa spent almost the entire day fighting it out of fear of it being wrong. There's no denying this chemistry, though. This desire. The electricity. So, yeah, it is unconventional, but it's exactly what Isa has always needed.

Hell, Isa has never been more thankful for a snowstorm.


	6. Countdown to A Lifetime

December 31st, 2019.

Isa stares at the date on the calendar while sitting at the table, full cup of coffee in hand. A cup not even sipped from. He had had every intention, of course, to drink this freshly brewed coffee, but as soon as he noticed the date, he froze. Time stopped. Now he can't focus on anything else. Nothing except the fact that it's been exactly a month since…the _incident_. An incident that had been spoken of once, and then put to bed. Not up for further discussion. That was the agreement. The mutual agreement. Hmm.

It'd be a lot easier to get over if he wasn't still so caught up on it.

"Morning, buddy," Lea says as he enters the kitchen. He stops dead in his tracks, though, when he notices Isa's blank stare. He follows it to the calendar. "Something wrong?"

Isa shakes his head. Somehow. He still feels frozen in time. "No, of course not." He forces a smile. "Good morning."

Lea quirks an eyebrow but doesn't pursue the topic. He pours himself a cup of coffee and leans against the countertop. "So, do ya know the plan for tonight?"

He grabs the morning paper and starts flipping through it. Something else that had been a part of his original plan for the morning before getting distracted. "Enlighten me."

"Kairi and Naminé are meeting us here. From there, we'll pick up Riku and Sora. Roxas, Xion, and Ven are getting a ride from Terra and Aqua. Demyx and Ienzo will be coming on their own. Then we're all gonna meet up at—"

"Hold on," Isa speaks up, raising a hand. He's not sure why, but his brain is having quite the difficult time processing all this information. Names he hears every single day, but, all of a sudden, they sound so foreign to him. "What's going on tonight?"

Lea lets out a little laugh. "Uhm…weren't you staring down the calendar when I just walked in?"

"And?"

"And…ya didn't notice the date? C'mon, man, it's New Year's Eve."

Isa's eyes widen for a brief moment before he sighs. "Right. How could I forget?"

He eyes Isa over his coffee cup as he takes a sip. "Ya sure you're feeling all right?"

"I'm fine." He folds the newspaper back up and pushes it aside. "So, where is it we're all meeting up at?"

Lea is still staring Isa down. Waiting him out. Isa won't cave. Not this time. And when Lea realises this, he takes a deep breath. "Riku's boss has given us permission to use their lot for the night. It's easy walking distance from the city centre. Only two or three blocks. Four max."

"Great. Sounds perfect." He gets to his feet to freshen up his now cold coffee. Lea shifts his weight from one foot to the other and back again. It's subtle, but Isa has learned well how to pick up on those subtleties. "Yes?"

"Well—" Lea swallows hard. "Demyx and Ienzo are bringing dates with them…for you and me."

Isa sets his mug down as he hears that phrase echoing in his mind. "Excuse me?"

He stands his ground. "I asked Demyx to find dates for us."

"You…asked him to do this?" Isa's having a hard time catching his breath, all of a sudden. But the thought of Lea actually asking—It almost breaks his heart. "Why?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "Because I figured it's time for us to get back out there, y'know? I mean, when was the last time either of us had a date? And I knew you'd object, so—"

"So, you decided to just go over my head and told Demyx to do it anyway?" He scoffs. "Unbelievable."

"C'mon, just give the blind date a chance," Lea says. Isa rolls his eyes and places his still full mug in the sink before turning to walk away. "What's the big deal?"

He stops dead in his tracks. _What's the big deal_? That's an excellent question, really. After all, this shouldn't be such a big deal. It is, though. So, Isa takes a deep breath. His turn to stand his ground.

"I think we should…talk," Isa says. Lea quirks that eyebrow again and he tries not to roll his eyes at him. Again. "You know exactly what about."

Now Lea sighs. "Isa, no—"

"Why not?"

"We agreed we wouldn't bring this up again."

"I understand that, but—"

"But what?" Another sigh. "It was a stupid mistake and never should've happened. What more could there possibly be to talk about?"

"What if we dismissed it too soon?" His voice is low. Soft. This is a sensitive subject for them both. Risky. And Isa does understand that, but it's been eating away at him for a month now and he can't take it any longer. "I'm just thinking…maybe we should revisit the idea."

Lea only shakes his head. "It could ruin our friendship."

"It could also enhance it."

There's a quiver to Lea's bottom lip. It happens typically when he's anxious or upset. Isa wants to kiss it away. A month ago, he wouldn't have been able to admit that, but now… He finally knows what he wants. And it kills him that Lea doesn't seem to want the same thing. He doesn't want him, too.

Lea cocks his head to the side. "Like I said, just give the blind date a chance." He sets his mug down and grabs his jacket from the back of one of the kitchen chairs. "I have to go grab a few things for tonight. I'll be back later." And he takes his leave.

Rather than watching him go, Isa opts for watching the floor. Once he hears the front door open and close again, he lifts his head. He lets out a heavy sigh and steps up to the counter. Lea barely drank any of coffee, either. Hmm. Isa knew bringing it up could lead to some sort of argument, but he couldn't help it. He looks back at the calendar. Exactly one month since the _incident_. Since he and Lea got drunk and ended up sleeping together. Tch. Lea thinks pursuing a relationship would ruin their friendship, but their friendship was effectively ruined that night. They spoke of it the following evening and decided to just move past it. They decided they would act as if it never happened. They decided that was for the best. And everything went back to normal. For the first few days, at least. The more Isa thought about it, though, the more he realised that that night had happened for a reason. That night should've been the moment both he and Lea came to the conclusion that they're meant to be together. That they're meant for each other. Instead, it seems only Isa has been enlightened. Instead, Lea is having Demyx set up blind dates for them. _It's time for us to get back out there_. No. There's a reason Isa has stopped dating. And that reason lives with him. That reason grew up with him. That reason has flaming red hair and eyes as green as emeralds. That reason is the most infuriating person in the entire world, but _holy shit_, Isa doesn't know what he would do without him.

He's in love with Lea, and there's no denying it.

For now, Isa will let it go. Maybe tonight's blind dates will enlighten Lea, as well. Maybe the new year will bring a new relationship. He can only hope, but damn it, he will. Hell, they've wasted enough years already; he won't waste another.

There isn't much conversation in the apartment until Kairi and Naminé arrive. It's just about 9:30p at this point. Two and half hours until the new year. Half hour until Isa meets his blind date for the evening. Ugh. He hopes more than anything that this person doesn't expect to share a kiss with him after the countdown.

"Are you ready yet, Lea?" Kairi asks from the living room. "I mean, seriously, you take longer than Xion, Naminé, and me put together."

"Hey," he says as he walks out of his bedroom, "this," he gestures to himself, "takes a lot of work."

"At least you admit it," Isa says. He pauses when he catches Lea glare. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I say that out loud?"

Naminé glances back and forth between the two with raised brows. "No." She shakes her head. "You are _not_ allowed to be fighting tonight."

"We're not—" Isa and Lea begin in unison, their voices raised, before stopping to glance at each other and sigh.

"—fighting," Lea finishes, his voice more a mumble now.

"You better not be," Kairi says. "Tonight is a clean slate. So, you better leave all your petty arguments behind."

Lea nods. "Wow. Harsh."

"Sometimes you two need that," Naminé goes on. "Can we get going now?"

Isa practically jumps to his feet. "Please."

Isa drives them to Riku and Sora's place to pick them up. He prefers driving since it keeps his mind occupied. And right now, he needs to keep his mind occupied—needs to keep his thoughts at bay—more than anything. He can't spend the entire night going over the _what if's_ of his and Lea's hypothetical relationship. As much as he wants to come up with the consequences to make him believe a relationship would be a terrible idea, he can't. Like Kairi said, tonight is supposed to be about a fresh start. Hmm.

He just wishes he could have a fresh start with Lea.

They're second to arrive at the designated parking lot. Roxas, Xion, Ventus, Terra, and Aqua are already there. Sora jumps out of the car and rushes to greet Roxas and Ventus first. The girls all greet each other, while Lea and Riku greet Terra. Isa leans against the car and waits. He knows he shouldn't. He should join the others. He should be happy. He can't bring himself to be in a very festive mood, though. Lea, of course, takes notice of this.

"Y'know, ya have a great poker face," Lea starts, joining him by the car, "but physically keeping your distance is a pretty good giveaway that you're in a bad mood."

Isa can't help but chuckle. He and Lea truly do know each other better than anyone else. Just another reason they'd be perfect together. "Got a lot on my mind," Isa speaks up. He learned years ago that he's better off being upfront with the redhead. There's no beating around the bush when he can see right through it anyhow. "You've already made it clear that you prefer not to discuss it."

Lea lets out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, I just…" He pauses, thinking. "Okay. Fine. Let's get through tonight. Let's get through these blind dates. If we don't connect with them, then we'll talk once we get home. I promise."

Isa's almost taken aback by this. He takes it as a good sign. "Really?"

"If it's that important to you."

He nods his head once. "Okay."

"Okay. So now you gotta at least try to enjoy the rest of the night."

He rolls his eyes, chuckling. "Fine."

Lea glares at him, but there's no real heat behind it. "Now you're just mocking me."

They join the others just as Demyx and Ienzo arrive. Isa's stomach drops at the sight of their car. At the four silhouettes sitting inside. Damn it. He needs to at least try. Despite how much he doesn't want, he needs to. He owes Lea that much. That little. He owes Lea everything.

Demyx gets out of the car first. He opens the back door to let the blind dates out. A young woman steps out while a young man appears from the other side along with Ienzo. The churning in Isa's stomach intensifies. There's a hand on his shoulder and he looks to see Lea smiling at him reassuringly. He relaxes instantaneously. He may not be out on a date with Lea, but at least Lea is still right there. For tonight, that's good enough.

"The men of the hour," Demyx greets them. "Lea, this is Mona," he gestures to the young woman, "and Isa," he gestures to the young man, "this is Cyrus." He then grins. "This, uh, should make for an interesting night."

Isa means to ask what will be so interesting, but Lea is already wrapping an arm around Mona's shoulders and he loses his track of thought. His peace of mind. The group starts the walk to the city square, Isa and his own _date_ already falling behind because Isa is too busy watching Lea walk away.

"You okay?" Cyrus speaks up.

Isa shakes his head, reality crashing down on him. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. Sorry. Just adjusting to the cold still."

"Yeah, I hate this time of year. The lights and snow are pretty and all, but man, I'm not a fan of the cold."

He forces a small chuckle and the two of them head off to catch up with the others. Isa's hands are stuffed deep in his pockets and he's watching the ground in front of him as he answers all the questions Cyrus is asking. _What do you do for work? What are your hobbies? What did you go to school for?_ Hell, Isa isn't exactly experienced when it comes to dating, but even he can tell that these questions are generic. Almost scripted. It just doesn't feel natural. Hmm. Maybe that's because he's too busy trying to eavesdrop of what Lea and Mona are talking about. Lea keeps laughing and it's driving Isa mad. Tch. Not everything can be that funny.

"How did you end up in this city?" Cyrus then asks.

This question catches Isa off guard. Shit. He hasn't thought about what brought him here in _years_. "Uhm…honestly, Lea did. We've been best friends ever since we were kids. His family wasn't the closest and he had no desire to live near his parents, so he was always applying for jobs that would give him no choice but to move. Then when he actually got a job opportunity out this way, he was afraid of moving alone. So, I dropped everything and moved with him."

Cyrus' eyes widen a bit. "Wow, talk about being a good friend. What about your family, though?"

"Don't have one. My parents got into a car crash when I was just a baby. Neither of them survived and I came out with this so-called extraordinary scar." He shrugs his shoulders. "Lea is the closest thing I've ever had to a family."

"I see…"

Isa clears his throat. "What about you? Any family in the area?"

"Nah, my siblings and I all moved away from home. We still talk to our parents, though, and try to get together at least once a year. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it this year. The weekend we had planned on ended up being the weekend we got that tropical storm and all flights were cancelled. I might surprise my parents within the next couple weeks, but that all depends on if I have enough money."

"Well, I hope you can make it home."

Cyrus smiles. "Thanks."

That smile doesn't do anything for Isa. Not like Lea's. Lea's smile gets his heart racing. It takes his breath away. Makes him feel like he's floating. Sure, Cyrus is good-looking and seems like a nice enough guy, but he's not Lea. Just a shame that Lea seems be enjoying the company of his date.

Demyx leads the group to a couple bars. Everyone has a couple drinks, but Isa passes on all his offers. He's not interested in drinking tonight. Not when he still can't stop thinking about what had happened the last time he got wasted. Not when he can't bring himself to stop watching Lea.

It's the fifth bar they've jumped to when Mona approaches him. Now he could really use a shot.

"Not drinking?" she calls over the noise of the strangers surrounding them.

"Someone's gotta make sure no one hurts themselves," Isa says.

"Good point." She takes the shot in her hand. "So, Lea tells me you two have been best friends for, like, ever."

"Yeah, we have been."

She grins. "Does that mean I'll have to get your approval?"

"It's not an easy task." He's only joking. Sort of.

"I bet. That's good, though. Only the best for your best." She laughs.

He nods. _Only the best_. "Exactly." Isa would be the best choice for Lea. Just like Lea would be the best for Isa. "Cheers to that."

"There you two are," Lea says, joining them at the other end of the bar. He grins. "C'mon, we're moving to the next bar."

"Let's go, then," Mona says. She takes one more shot and takes her leave.

Isa watches her and the others as they head out, Ventus and Naminé barely keeping their composure. He shakes his head. "Demyx is gonna kill them."

"He ain't the one making them drink," Lea says.

"Perhaps not, but they're all trying to outdrink him when Demyx can easily drink any one of us under the table."

He laughs. "You and I ain't drinking, so—"

"You're not drinking?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

He pauses. "Trying to keep a clear head." He then takes a quick look around. "By the way, where's Cyrus at?"

"I don't know. With the others."

Now he sighs. "C'mon, Isa…"

"Don't. I tried, okay? I truly did. I'm sorry I'm not clicking as well with my date as you are with yours."

His brow furrows. "Tell me the truth, Isa."

The truth? Tch. Isa can barely distinguish what's true and what's not anymore. Especially when it comes to his feelings. Is it all in his head? Or is he truly in love with Lea? Please, who is he kidding? He knows exactly how he feels. And Lea wants him to tell him. He wants the truth. Funny thing is that Lea seems to be the one leaning in closer.

Just then, the bartender sets two shots down in front of them. "Here," he calls out with a friendly smile. "On the house."

Isa stares at it for a moment, tempted. "Thanks, but I'll pass." And he gets up from the barstool.

"C'mon, will one shot make you lose your mind?" Lea says.

He swallows hard, looking directly into those intense green eyes. "It might."

With that, he walks away. As soon as he steps outside, he tracks down Cyrus and joins him. Except he seems to have barely noticed that Isa was gone. Not that Isa minds. He's sure Cyrus isn't feeling it, either. Oh well. After all, Isa's never been the type to try and force a connection.

As it nears midnight, the group gathers in the city square. Shit. It's freezing and Isa really wishes he had more layers on. He should know better by now. They do this every new year and he always manages to somehow underdress. He looks around and can spot the others. Roxas, Xion, Naminé, Kairi, and Ventus are all together. Demyx and Ienzo. Riku and Sora. Aqua and Terra. He's lost track of Cyrus and Mona, though. And—

"Here," Lea says out of nowhere. Isa turns and Lea is wrapping his scarf around both of their necks. He then takes Isa's hands in his own gloved ones. "This should help to warm your hands up."

Isa is at a loss for words. "Wh-what—? What are you doing?"

"You looked cold."

That response pisses Isa off. It's so stupid. What pisses him off even more, though, is the fact that it's so _Lea_. Nonchalant. _You looked cold_. Sure, but now they're exceptionally close to each other. Their foreheads are just barely pressed together. Their breath mingling. If they looked up at one another, their noses would most certainly bump together. How can this be okay? It's not. But Lea seems more comfortable than ever while Isa's heart is ready to beat out of his chest.

Isa checks his wristwatch to distract himself from how close they are. "The countdown will be starting soon."

"Should be, yeah."

"Don't you want to be with your date?"

Isa's expecting an eyeroll, but he's met with a steady gaze. "No. I wanna spend the first few moments of the new year with you." Lea says this with so much conviction that Isa's taken aback. "A-actually, I wanna spend the entirety of the new year with you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'm thinking with a clear head." _Trying to keep a clear head_. The comment echoes in Isa's mind, but he doesn't speak up. "No alcohol to influence any of my words or actions," Lea goes on. "I'm in control this time."

"In control of what?"

"Of what happens next."

The countdown begins. Every single person around them is calling out from the number ten. Isa can't join in, though. He can't find his voice. Can't take his eyes off Lea. But Lea's watching him, too. Just as intently. They're close and getting closer still. It's all Isa can do to remember how to breathe.

_4…3…2…1…_

Their lips meet and it's like fireworks. Better than fireworks. Brighter. More colourful. Hues of greens and blues and reds. A rush of excitement thrums through Isa as if he's a child on Christmas morning.

"Happy New Year, Isa," Lea speaks up once they disconnect.

Isa takes a moment to recompose himself. "I thought you said—"

"I know what I said. I know I said this would be a bad idea, but… I guess I was just scared shitless of letting it happen."

"Why?"

"I didn't wanna screw up. Y'know, like—It's like my thought process was that I'd rather have you in my life as my best friend than not have you in my life at all. So, I figured we'd be okay not taking our relationship to next step so long as that was the case."

"What changed your mind?"

He smiles softly. "You brought that night up again this morning, so I realised I wasn't the only one still thinking about it."

Isa blushes at this and hopes his cheeks are already red enough from the cold to cover up the flushing. "Of course I'm still thinking about it. How was I supposed to just forget it ever happened?"

"Well, that's what we had agreed on, so I just sorta figured it's what you did."

"Then why didn't you ever bring it up?"

"Believe it or not, Isa, but even I have a hard time reading you sometimes. You're too good at closing off your emotions."

"I'm sorry. I suppose that's because of my own fears, as well." He drops his gaze. "Fears of being rejected by the only person I've ever wanted to be with."

"You don't have to be afraid of that."

Their lips meet again in a kiss much more demanding than the first. This one doesn't last as long, though, considering the hoots and howls they suddenly get from the others. Hell, Isa almost forgot there are even other people around.

Xion giggles. "Talk about a new year resolution."

"It's about time you two confessed to each other," Roxas says. "We were starting to think we'd have to spell it out for you guys."

"Shut up, half pint," Lea says.

Isa chuckles a bit before his eyes suddenly widen. "Cyrus and Mona—"

"Are dating," Demyx speaks up. "C'mon, you think I was actually gonna set you two up on real dates? Please, I asked them to help make you two jealous tonight." He shrugs his shoulders. "It half worked."

Lea's jaw drops slightly. "You son of a bitch…"

Demyx smirks. "You gotta admit, it was clever."

"Devious is more like it," Ienzo says.

From there, it isn't long before the group starts to disperse. By the time Lea and Isa make it home, it's close to two o'clock in the morning. Even then, they brew a pot of coffee and sit at their kitchen table.

"I can't believe Demyx pulled a stunt like this," Isa says.

Lea half laughs-half scoffs. "I can. It's totally something he would do. Or attempt, at least. I guess my surprise is more over the fact that he got away with it."

"Yes, especially since Ienzo hadn't even seemed to have been aware."

Lea reaches across the table and takes Isa's free hand in his own. "I can't say I was jealous of you and Cyrus but being with Mona tonight definitely didn't feel right. Talking with her didn't come as naturally as talking with you does."

"That's how I felt with Cyrus. As for you and Mona… Well, you had seemed like you were enjoying yourself, so I was a little jealous."

The corners of his lips twitch. "When the bartender offered those free shots and you said that taking it might make you lose your mind… What did you mean by that?"

"Ah." He clears his throat. "I meant that it probably would have only taken a single shot for me to have—" Lea leans forward and captures Isa's lips in a searing kiss before he can finish. He melts into the kiss, gripping Lea's hand just a little bit tighter. He's afraid that if he lets go, he'll wake up and realise this had all been some crazy dream. When the kiss breaks, though, and he opens his eyes to see green ones staring intently back, he knows this is real. "For me to have done that," he finishes his thought from before. "After all, I had been on edge for most of the day."

He smiles. "It's too bad we didn't do this a year ago. Feels like we have so much time to make up for now."

"We have plenty of time."

Lea leans in for another kiss and Isa welcomes it. They could spend the rest of the night kissing and it wouldn't be enough. They do have plenty of time, though. Time to kiss. Time to drink. Time to move to the couch. To explore each other. To feel each other. Time to celebrate.

With a new year comes new beginnings. This beginning is a lifetime in the making. Now it'll last a lifetime, too.


End file.
